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Securing Your Personal Information
Consumer Tips for Safe Internet Banking
Spyware
Pop Up Windows
Virus and Firewall Protection
Disconnect from the Internet when not in use
Allow Condon Bank & Trust to contact you using normal
channels of communication
Everyone makes mistakes
Tips to Protect Yourself from Phishing
Scams
Securing Your Personal
Information
At Condon Bank & Trust,
the security of your personal and account information is
very important to us. By practicing good security
habits, you can help us ensure that your private
information is protected.
-
Never disclose ANY
personally identifying information if requested via
an unsolicited email or phone call. This includes:
-
Bank account numbers or
credit card numbers
-
Personal Identification
Numbers (PIN) or passwords
-
Social Security Number
-
Mother’s maiden name
-
Other private
information
-
Never reveal your PIN
or password to anyone
-
Change your password
frequently (you can do this online thru the internet
banking “options” button or by calling our customer
service representative)
-
Store your card number
and PIN separately, and never write your PIN on your
card
-
If you use Condon
Bank and Trust internet banking service, log out
when finished and close your browser before leaving
your computer
-
Never leave your
computer unattended during a Condon Bank & Trust
internet banking session.
Be wary of any email
asking you to log onto Condon Bank & Trust
internet banking service, if it does not link to the
official Condon Bank & Trust internet banking site
at
condonbank.com. Also, be suspicious if you are
asked to enter any personal identifying information into
an unexpected pop-up window, even if it looks official.
Call us at (620) 251-5500,
if you have any questions regarding emails or phone
calls soliciting information about your Condon Bank & Trust accounts. We will never contact you by telephone or
send you an email and ask you to reveal sensitive data
or personal account information. If you receive a
telephone call from anyone who claims to be a bank
employee and you are pressured to divulge sensitive data
or personal account information, do not answer. Instead,
ask them for their name and tell them you will call them
back. Use our main phone (620) 251-5500 to do so.
If you have received an
unsolicited email and you provided confidential
information through a linked website, you could be a
victim of identity theft. If you believe this has
happened to you, please call us at (620) 251-5500 and
ask for the Bank’s security officer. Or forward a copy
of the unsolicited email to us at
customerservice@condonbank.com.
Consumer Tips for Safe
Internet Banking
Never save your password to
your desktop.
Saving your password to your
desktop may seem like a timesaver but it allows others
to access your personal information without your
permission.
How personal is your
password?
Avoid using passwords that
are relevant to your personal situation. Passwords with
your phone number, date of birth, or social security
number are often gateways to disaster. Create passwords
that contain letters and numbers that cannot be easily
attributable to you. Change your password every 60 days
or as often as you feel comfortable. Remember: The
longer the password the harder it is to break it. Use
plenty of upper and lower case letters and numbers.
Don’t open email from
unknown sources.
“Phishing” emails are those
sent to your email address by cyber criminals who wish
to steal your personal information. Be wary of any email
that asks for PIN numbers, passwords, or your bank
account or credit card information. These emails are
often emblazoned with the real registered logos of
legitimate companies with whom you are currently doing
business. Links within these “Phishing” emails may take
you to fraudulent “Spoof” websites which are designed to
fool consumers into trusting the integrity of the
website. Most Phishing emails do not even address you by
your proper name because they are “blanket” emails sent
out en masse to thousands of potential targets.
Read between the lines!
Emails do not have
boundaries. You may be the recipient of a fraudulent
email from any county in the world. Pay close attention
to the finer details of any email that you receive. Are
there typographical errors or unusual grammatical
mistakes within the letter? Is there a hyperlink in the
email that directs you to a website address that also
bears noticeable errors in language and grammar? Use
extreme caution. Do not input your personal information
until you verify the website with your financial
institution.
Report any suspicious emails
and website addresses immediately.
Most E commerce websites
maintain security departments that deal with Spam,
Phishing scam letters and other security breaches.
Forward any unusual emails and website addresses to the
security departments immediately so that they advise you
on how to proceed.
Beware: “We need to update
your password because of a security compromise”
Why would a company that
already has your password request it from you? Many
illegitimate emails are sent daily asking you to update
your password because of purported “security
compromises” that do not exist. A simple phone call to
the organization in question will answer any question
that you may have regarding security compromises.
Customer service centers are
to be considered your ultimate resource when you receive
potentially illegal or confusing emails.
Spyware
According to Microsoft, 50
percent of computer crashes are caused by “Spyware”, or
applications downloaded from software, Internet sites,
and email without the user’s permission. They are used
to monitor keystrokes and gain access to personal
information stored on the hard drive. To protect
yourself, install reputable anti-spyware tools that
detect and remove the applications, block
self-initiating downloads, and stop pop-up
advertisements, among other functions.
Pop Up Windows
Beware of any window that
“pops up” during an internet banking session. If the
window asks you to access another website or to enter
your password then you should beware. “RATS” or Remote
Access Trojans can be installed on legitimate websites
by computer hackers who want to steal your personal
information. Please call customer service immediately if
this occurs, before you honor any request for your
personal information.
Use the best virus
protection and firewall protection that you can afford.
Virus protection and
firewalls provide additional layers of protection that
you need to insulate your risk exposure to viruses that
can rob your computer hard drive of valuable personal
information. Virus protection packages and firewalls can
be purchased online or at reputable computer software
stores nationwide. Remember that after you install virus
protection you will still need to regularly update the
software to ensure maximum protection. Most software
updates are free once you pay for the annual fee for
virus protection software.
Disconnect from the Internet
when not in use.
Literally “unplugging” the
PC and disabling your wireless router may play key
elements in protecting your information when the
computer is not being used. Dial up connections can be
unplugged from the telephone outlet while wireless
routing devices can simply be unplugged from their
electrical source or “powered down” during periods when
the PC is idle.
Allow Condon Bank & Trust
to contact you using normal channels of communication.
Make sure that we have your
best possible contact telephone numbers and your current
mailing address. If we wish to contact you, we will more
than likely use the telephone followed by an actual
paper letter sent to your official address.
Everyone makes mistakes.
It is always better to
obtain guidance from us when you suspect that you have
inadvertently entered you personal information on a
bogus website. Do no delay in contacting us. There are
many resources and solutions available to preserve your
piece of mind as well as your financial well being. When
in doubt-make the phone call!
Tips to Protect Yourself
from Phishing Scams
-
Use SPAM Filter
software.
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Use Anti-Virus Software.
-
Use Anti-Spyware
software.
-
Use a Personal firewall.
-
Keep software updated
(operating systems & web browsers).
-
Always look for https://
and padlock on web sites that require personal
information.
-
Educate yourself about
fraudulent activity on the internet.
-
Seek advice. If you’re
unsure of a solicitation, call us directly at (620)
251-5500.
For more details on
protecting yourself, go to:
www.antiphishing.org
www.consumer.gov/idtheft
www.fraud.org
www.ftc.gov
www.ifccfbi.gov
Identity Theft is a
serious crime. How does it happen?
Identity theft occurs when someone uses your
personal
information without your permission to commit fraud or
other
crimes. While you can't entirely control whether you
will become
a victim, there are steps you can take to minimize your
risk.
One missing puzzle piece can dramatically change a
puzzle's characteristics. The same is true with a
person's identity - one bit
of personal information is all someone needs to steal
your identity.
If you think your identity
has been stolen, here's what to do::
1. Contact the fraud
departments of any one of the three consumer reporting
companies to place a fraud alert on your credit report.
The fraud alert tells creditors to contact you before
opening any new accounts or making any changes to your
existing accounts. You only need to contact one of the
three companies to place an alert. The company you call
is required to contact the other two, which will place
an alert on their versions of your report, too. Once you
place the fraud alert in your file, you're entitled to
order free copies of your credit reports, and, if you
ask, only the last four digits of your Social Security
number will appear on your credit reports.
2. Close the accounts
that you know or believe have been tampered with or
opened fraudulently.
3. File a report with
your local police or the police in the community where
the identity theft took place. Get a copy of the report
or at the very least, the number of the report, to
submit to your creditors and others that may require
proof of the crime.
4. File your
complaint with the FTC. The FTC maintains a database of
identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies
for investigations. Filing a complaint also helps them
learn more about identity theft and the problems victims
are having so that they can better assist you.
To report Identity Theft,
the links to the three credit reporting agencies are
listed below:
www.equifax.com
www.experian.com
www.transunion.com
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