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Take a Tip from Us -- Bank on These Ideas for Internet Safety.
We know the Internet is a valuable tool for all kinds of things, from timely communication and information gathering to conducting day-to-day business operations. Rest assured, Eisenhower Bank takes every precaution to maintain the highest security measures for your online transactions. We will never ask for your Social Security numbers, account numbers or passwords in any email. But there are a few simple strategies you can follow to avoid many types of fraudulent schemes. Familiarize yourself with these scams and tips and stay savvy about protecting your identity: • A Secured Website – as a rule, a website address that begins with “https,” indicates it is a secure site; a padlock icon on the browser’s status bar also indicates your information is secure during transmission. • Phishing – typically involves phony email messages that combine real corporate logos and other materials to trick you into providing the sender with personal data such as bank account or credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, etc. DON’T RESPOND TO ANY UNSOLICITED EMAILS! Don’t click on any links or give out any information without verifying its authenticity. Report any suspicious inquiries and check all credit card and financial statements for unusual activity. • Spoofing – the intruder changes the sender’s address on an email to make it appear as if it’s coming from a trusted source. This may fool the recipient into reading the email and clicking on fraudulent links in the email. • Pharming – redirects online users to a phony website, even when you have entered the correct address. These fraudulent sites appear to be real, but secretly collect personal information and passwords entered. The user will end up at fraudulent sites as well as having spyware or a virus on their computer. • Cyber fraud – generally acquires identities for unauthorized use of your personal information, via stolen account or Social Security numbers. Never send any monies to blind post office boxes before you’ve received promised goods or services. Report any unusual activity or any emails or websites claiming to be from Eisenhower Bank to us immediately at (888) 777-0740 or your credit card company and shred all related paper documents with a cross-cut shredder before discarding, including statements, unused checks, bills, etc. Most of all, use your intuition and common sense to make judgments about email or other online communications. If it doesn’t sound right, it probably isn’t a valid request. As an added measure of safety, order your free credit reports from www.annualcreditreport.com to review for any suspicious financial transactions in your name. For more information or assistance with filing a claim, you can also contact one of these agencies: Federal Trade Commission (FTC) www.ftc.gov Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC) www.ifccfbi.gov Consumer Fraud (Department of Justice/Homepage) www.usdoj.gov www.antiphishing.org www.consumer.gov/idtheft www.bbbonline.org/idtheft/phishing.asp |