Your Security
Your security is important to us. We post scam alerts, safety tips and security notices so you can be on guard against similar activity that may lead to identity theft or fraud of your account.
Should you receive a suspicious email or discover a suspicious activity, please email Risk Management.
Keep your personal information personal
Protect Your Information
Know what’s going on with your accounts
Create and use strong passwords and change them every 90 days
Log offline when you are done
Beware of strangers – online
What is Pharming?
Take the long way home
Phishing – Just a pastime?
Keep your personal information personal...
Don’t share your driver’s license number, social security number or account numbers over the phone, by mail or e-mail unless you have made a request to a company. Destroy receipts that have personal information listed on them. Your trash can be invaluable to someone interested in stealing your identity. Keep personal information in a safe place and shred documents with personal information on them when you are ready to dispose of your files.
Create unique PIN numbers and passwords that aren’t comprised of information that a would-be fraud could locate such as your mother’s maiden name, your birth date, your phone number or a part of your social security number. Carry only identifying information routinely used like a credit card, your checkbook and your driver’s license with you. Carrying social security cards, voter registrations, etc. make it easier to set up faulty accounts should your wallet or purse be lost or stolen. Guard your mail to make sure all letters and statements are picked up promptly from your mailbox and that your outgoing mail is picked up by the Post Office. If you are mailing bills and cannot be home to ensure the postman picks up the mail, consider dropping it in a collection box instead.
Know what’s going on with your accounts...
Watch your account information, and know your billing cycles. Leaving statements unopened can mean a fraud can go undetected for several months. If you notice that you have not received a credit card bill, call your credit card company to verify the statement has been sent and the address on file. Often, a change in address is the first means of stealing someone’s identity. Review copies of your credit report to verify that there is no suspicious activity on your accounts or against your name.
Equifax 800-685-1111
Experian 888-397-3742
Trans Union 800-888-4213
Create and use strong passwords and change them every 90 days... Creating passwords that are comprised of numerals and letters can help keep your password from being easily discovered.
Log offline when you are done...
If there isn't a good reason to remain online, disconnect from the network so you don’t leave yourself open to hackers.
Although you may miss a funny e-mail or perhaps a message or two, it is best when reading e-mail to be selective about the e-mails you choose to open. If a stranger came to your door, you’d probably be apprehensive about opening it. It’s the same with e-mail. If you don’t recognize who the e-mail is from, it’s probably in your best interest to delete it.
While you may be familiar with phishing, pharming is actually one of the newest forms of Internet fraud and identity theft. Pharming is domain spoofing which means you can be redirected without realizing it to a Web page that looks like the page you were intending to reach. In reality the site is duped and intended for fraud, and you should be wary when traveling to sites, especially for shopping. Shopping sites with the VeriSign network offer an additional layer of authentication and can be more trusted than others.
When you receive a special online offer, remember to type in the URL instead of clicking on a provided link. While this doesn’t prevent you from being sent to a malicious site, it can minimize your risk. Some malicious sites use similar characters in their URL that you might not notice if you were just clicking on a link.
When you hear the word “phishing”, it sounds just like “fishing” but it’s anything but a relaxing pastime. Phishing has become a new way for thieves to fraud you of your account information and identity. Phishing usually entails an email that involves an account problem along with a doctored version of a legitimate business’s web site. This combination has often lured people into replying with personal information such as account numbers, passwords and user names. Once the thieves have your information they can access accounts or potentially use the information to steal your identity. Although the phisher-men are coming up with new ways to accomplish their fraud every day, the best way to protect yourself is to never give out personal information by email or phone if you have not initiated the request. Should you receive a call or email like the ones outlined above, you should contact your local authorities immediately.
Equal Housing Lender.