Keep Your Info Safe

Always protect and never share your personal account information, including your ATM or Debit Card PINs, your online usernames, and most importantly your passwords.  You should protect your Online Banking log-in information and completely close out your browser when you are finished using Online Banking.  This ensures that no other user can come behind you and access your information.

Never share your personal account information with others.

Be on the lookout for the latest in consumer fraud trends:

Q.Have you been approached to deposit another person's check in your account on the promise that you can keep some of the funds?

A.This is a common ploy for fraudsters trying to circulate counterfeit checks for their personal gain.  Don't get caught in this trap.

Q.Have you ever sold items on the internet?

A.Another common scam is to send the internet seller a "Cashier's Check" for an amount greater than the seller's asking price.  Again, the check is counterfeit and the buyer will ask for the overpayment to be wired back to them.  The seller is then stuck with a worthless check, once it's returned against their account and they are generally out the merchandise as well.  Don't fall for this trick.

Q.Have you heard of lottery scams?  The trick involves receiving a letter, often from outside the U.S., containing information about winning a lottery.  The letter will include instructions asking the addressee not to tell their financial institution about the source of the check .  They indicate that is for "security reasons".

A.It's the same premise as the scenarios outlined above.  The sender asks the receiver to return a "fee" either by wire or certified funds as a "good faith" deposit against their winnings.  Naturally, the winnings never pan out.  Again, the fraud is based on counterfeited documents.  You can be smarter than the fraudsters!