Your security is important to us. Here at First Choice Community Bank
we want to provide tips and resources for online security and to help protect
you from identity theft.
Phishing
How phishing works:
Typically, you will receive an email that appears to come from a reputable
company that you recognize and do business with, such as your financial
institution. In some cases, the email may appear to come from a government
agency, including one of the federal financial institution regulatory agencies.
The email will probably warn you of a serious problem that requires your
immediate attention. It may use phrases such as "Immediate attention required"
or " Please contact us immediately about your account." The email will then
encourage you to click on a button to go the institution's website.
You could be redirected to a phony website that may look exactly like
the the real website.
You may be asked to update your account information or to provide information
for verification purposes: your Social Security Number, your account number,
your password or the information you use to verify your identity when speaking
to a real financial institution. If you provide the information, you may
find yourself the victim of identity theft.
While First Choice Community Bank may send you email communications
from time to time, we will never ask you to send your account number,
password or social security via email.
Tips to avoid phishing scams:
- Be suspicious of any email with an urgent request for personal financial
information. Phishers have been known to include upsetting or enticing
false statements to get people to react immediately. The email typically
asks for information such as user names, passwords, credit card numbers,
Social Security Numbers, etc.
- Be careful of emails that are not personalized and/or may contain
spelling errors and/or awkward syntax and phrasing.
- Do not use links in an email to to any web page. You may be diverted
to a fraudulent website. Call the bank to confirm the address or log
on to the website directly by typing in the official web address in
your browser.
Identity Theft
Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the U.S. Identity theft
is the theft or misuse of any type of identity theft information such as
name, telephone number, Social Security Number, date of birth, credit card
number, bank account number, etc.
Tips to protect yourself from identity theft:
- Never share personal information with someone you don't know or
for unnecessary reasons.
- Never place outgoing mail in your curbside mailbox. Use a Postal
Service collection box instead.
- Don't have your Social Security number or driver's license printed
on your checks.
- Shred any sensitive documents with personal information.
- Check your bank statements regularly and contact your bank if something
seems irregular.
- Check your credit report at least annually. You are entitled to
one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit
bureaus (www.annualcreditreport.com).
- Have a firewall program running anytime your are connected to the
internet and keep it up to date by using patches with your software
company.
- Use passwords that are a combination of letters and numbers to make
it difficult for an internet hacker to figure out.
- Unexpected emails or emails that you do not know the sender and
are suspicious should be deleted.
- Remember that First Choice will never email you and ask you to go
to another site to "verify information". This is called "Phishing" and
it deceives customers into providing personal information with deceptive
emails.
- Be aware of spyware on your computer that can be loaded when a user
opens an email attachment or click on a pop-up advertisement. The spyware
collects selected information and forwards it to the fraudster.
- Ensure that your browser is up to date and security patches are
applied.
- Use e-statements when available to reduce the chance of paper statements
being stolen.
If you suspect that you have become a victim of identity theft:
- Immediately file a police report with your local police or the police
in the community where the identity theft took place. Get a copy of
the report in case you need to show proof of the crime.
- Contact the fraud departments at each of the three major credit
bureaus.
Equifax - 1-800-525-6285
Experian - 1-888-397-3742
TransUnion - 1-800-680-7289
- Close any accounts that have been tampered with, or opened fraudulently.
While our professionals will assist you with your First Choice accounts,
you also contact, in writing, the security or fraud department of institutions
at which you maintain credit or bank accounts.
- File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Contact
the FTC's Identity Theft Hotline:
By phone - 1-877-IDTHEFT(438-4338)
Equal Housing
Lender