The internet is a great tool…for information and to conduct online
business, as long as consumers take the proper precautions to
protect their private information. As a valued customer of Skowhegan
Savings Bank, the security of your personal and account information
is extremely important to us. By practicing good security habits,
you can help us ensure that your information is protected.
We have designed this area of our web site as a resource for our
customers to learn about email and internet fraud and how you can
better protect your self and your accounts.
As a bank customer you need to be especially vigilant to some of the
frauds at work on the internet. Internet fraud can be any type of
scheme that uses the internet to deceive prospective victims. As the
level of doing business electronically increases so does the level
of criminal activity on the internet. If they can, criminals will
gain control of your assets by acquiring your credit card or bank
account information. Protect your self by learning about some of the
methods that are commonly used.
Phishing: Fraudulent
emails, appearing to be from a trusted source such as your bank
or a government agency that direct you to their website, and
then ask you to verify personal information such as account
numbers or passwords, are phishing. If you receive an email that
warns you with little or no notice that your account will be
shut down unless you reconfirm certain information, do not click
on the email link. Should you reply to such an email you are
actually providing sensitive information to a thief, not to a
legitimate company.
Web Site Fraud: Web spoofing
allows an attacker to create a "shadow copy" of a legitimate web
site. Usually, you receive an email that appears to be from a
business with which you are familiar, asking that you follow the
provided link in order to update your password, credit card
information, etc. Often these links take you to a page that
looks legitimate, but is maintained by the individual running
the scam. To ensure that you are always visiting a trusted web
site, avoid clicking on any links in an unsolicited email asking
you to update or verify personal or account information. If an
unsolicited email arrives, treat it as you would a phishing
source and do not click on the link.
Identity Theft: Identity
theft will affect over 30 million Americans this year, but you
can protect yourself and your personal information by following
some simple tips.
-
Safeguard your financial information such as checking and
credit card numbers, and your social security number.
Don't give it out to someone you don't know even if they
claim to be from your bank.
-
Report lost
or stolen checks immediately, as well as lost or stolen debit or
credit cards.
-
Shred documents that contain account numbers or other sensitive
material before discarding them.
-
Be on alert should you fail to receive regular account
statements or bills.
-
If your bills include questionable items, investigate them
immediately.
For more
information on the prevention of identity theft visit:
|
ATM Security Awareness and Fraud Prevention |
ATM (Automatic
Teller Machine) fraud is one of the most prevalent illegal
activities in today's banking environment. Skowhegan Savings Bank is
committed to providing you with security tips and other helpful
information on how to best protect your personal and account
information.
More info.
