Security

HOW YOU CAN PROTECT YOURSELF

Because you can control the information you choose to release, you are the first line of defense in protecting your personal information. Some easy ways of accomplishing this is by keeping anything with any personal or account information in a safe place, providing your information only to trusted sources, and by reducing the amount of mail you receive with your information on it.

It's okay to be suspicious when providing your personal information. If you can't verify the legitimacy of the business or person that you may be providing your information to, or if you don't understand why a certain piece of information is needed, you may want to reconsider continuing with that transaction.

We do more by committing to help you fight fraud and identity theft. Identity theft is the most popular and profitable form of consumer fraud. It happens when someone uses your personal information such as your name, Social Security number, credit card number or other private information, without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes. It is vital that you recognize the various types of fraud and learn how to protect yourself against them. Your PC is your first line of defense on the Internet, and with just a couple of tools and some diligence, you can greatly improve your security. Make sure your computer has an anti-virus program, anti-spyware, and a firewall, and keep them up to date. Some phishing attacks contain software that can harm your computer or track your activities on the Internet without your knowledge.

Be very protective of your personal and account information. There are criminals who create websites that look similar to real sites. The best way to know who you are dealing with is to type the address in your browser address bar.

Please read the tips below to learn more about protecting yourself.

Monitor your accounts. You can easily monitor your accounts by keeping track of transactions by logging into online banking. It’s FREE and available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Protect your personal information:

• Do not carry your Social Security card with you
• Do not have your Social Security number and driver’s license number printed on your checks
• Keep your new and cancelled checks in a safe place
• Do not leave your purse, wallet, checkbook, or any other forms of identification in your car
• Shred or tear up any documents containing banking or credit information, especially pre-approved credit card offers
• Keep your PINs and passwords a secret. Do not write them down or share them with anyone.

• Use caution when you receive an e-mail that directs you to a Web page asking for personal information. It may look like its legitimate, but the Web site may be designed to steal your personal information.
• To bait you, the e-mail message may suggest there is an urgent matter threatening your account. These messages generally ask you to click a link to a false Web site and provide confidential personal or financial data.
• Never give out confidential information unless you are absolutely assured of the reason you are giving the information and confident in whom is receiving the information

• Do not reply to any unsolicited email, pop-up message or phone call asking for personal and/or financial information.
• Question suspicious emails. We will never send you an email asking for your online ID, password, or other personal information.
• Do not click on any email link if you suspect the message is fraudulent, not even to "unsubscribe". Instead, call the business using the number on the back of your card or on your monthly statement to confirm the legitimacy of the email.