Customer Fraud Awareness
At Advantage Bank, the security of customer information is a priority. We are strongly committed to the safety and confidentiality of your records. Every day, unscrupulous individuals are busy developing new scams targeting the unsuspecting public. One of the best ways to avoid fraud is to become an educated consumer.
Below are some additional security considerations for our business customers:
Identity Theft
If you are a victim of online fraud or identity theft, take the following steps:
At Advantage Bank, the security of customer information is a priority. We are strongly committed to the safety and confidentiality of your records. Every day, unscrupulous individuals are busy developing new scams targeting the unsuspecting public. One of the best ways to avoid fraud is to become an educated consumer.
Some simple suggestions to enhance your online security:
- The privacy of communications between you and our servers is ensured via encryption. Encryption scrambles messages exchanged between your browser and our online banking server.
- Our online systems can only be accessed in a secure mode. https:// at the beginning of a website URL in your web browser means that the web connection is using SSL (secure sockets layer) technology.
- Passwords should be unique to you and should be changed regularly. Do not use birthdays or other numbers or words that may be easy for others to guess. Never write down your password or give it to another person.
- Advantage Bank’s personal and business online customers utilize an effective Multifactor Authentication process to log into their online account. This provides our customers another level of protection against someone fraudulently accessing your account.
- Advantage Bank under no circumstances will ever call or email you asking for any account information including your online account passwords or any personal authentication information.
- Advantage Bank recommends that you carefully monitor the balances and statements of all your financial accounts. Look for unexplained charges or withdrawals, or any unauthorized charges or withdrawals. Contact your local branch immediately and follow the instructions in your Electronic Fund Transfer disclosure or your online banking agreement.
- Don’t email personal or financial information. Email is not a secure method of transmitting personal information.
- Periodically review your credit report. You are able to obtain a fee copy of your credit report every 12 months if you ask for it. To order your free annual report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com; call toll-free 1-877-322-8228; or visit www.ftc.gov/credit to print and complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta. GA 30348.
- Protect yourself from fraudulent Web sites and e-mails. Watch out for copycat Web sites that deliberately use a name or Web address very similar to, but not the same as the real one. The intent is to lure you into clicking onto their Web site and giving out your personal information, such as a bank account number, credit card number, or online banking login information. Avoid clicking on links in unsolicited e-mails. If you ever receive a suspicious e-mail representing itself as Advantage Bank, please forward the message in its entirety to customerservice@advantagebanks.com.
- Ensure your computer has updated anti-virus and firewall protections.
Below are some additional security considerations for our business customers:
- Businesses should review and update their institution’s security risk assessment policy and procedures to be prepared for possible, new online threats.
- Require frequent password changes of your employees.
- Verify access permission and review thresholds defined for each corporate client on a regular basis.
- Limit corporate access times to normal business hours.
Identity Theft
If you are a victim of online fraud or identity theft, take the following steps:
- Contact the fraud departments of each of the three major credit bureaus and request a fraud alert be placed on your file and no new credit be granted without your approval.
- Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
- Experian: 1-888-397-3742
- Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289
- Close any accounts that have been fraudulently accessed or opened.
- File a local police report and get a copy of the report to your bank, Credit Card Company or others that may need proof of the crime.
You can visit the Federal Trade Commission Identity Theft website for more information at:
www.ftc.gov/idtheftYou may also wish to check out the Consumer’s Guide to credit reports and credit scores at:
www.federalreserve.gov/creditreports/default.htm
© 2007 Advantage Bank