Identity Theft

ID theft is a persistent concern for consumers today. According to the 2017 Javelin Identity Fraud Survey Report published by Javelin Strategy & Research, the overall fraud incidence rose 16% to affect 6.15% of U.S. consumers — the highest on record. Many reports would have us believe that ID theft is most commonly caused when crooks steal your information online. Interestingly, ID theft is more likely to occur off-line than online using paper-based records such as stolen wallets, check books, account statements, receipts, or other transaction records. That said, it is important to be vigilant and protect yourself from online and off-line theft of your personal identification.

Here are some simple guidelines to help protect against ID theft:

  • Order and review copies of your credit report once a year to ensure they are accurate.
  • Keep an eye on your account throughout the year by reading your monthly/periodic statements thoroughly.
  • Shred pre-approved credit offers, receipts and other personal information that link your name to account numbers.
  • Don’t leave your ATM or credit card receipts in public trash cans.
  • When you pay bills, don’t put them in your mailbox with the red flag up. That’s like a flashing neon light telling crooks to grab your information. Use Online Bill Pay, a locked mailbox, or the post office.
  • Protect your account information. Don’t write your PIN on your ATM or debit card.
  • Don’t write your social security number or credit card account number on a check.
  • Cover your hand when you’re entering your PIN at an ATM or check-out stand.
  • Don’t carry your Social Security card, passport or birth certificate unless you need it that day.
  • Take all but one or two credit cards out of your wallet, and keep a list at home of your account information and customer service telephone numbers. If your wallet is lost or stolen, you’ll only have to notify a few of your creditors and the information will be handy.
  • Never provide personal or credit card information over the phone, unless you initiated the call.

Protect Yourself Online

The following information can help you protect your information when using our online services. While CCbank maintains the highest level of security on our systems, we are not responsible for any breach of security that is beyond our control. The following are suggestions to help protect you online.

Online Banking Best Practices

  • Do not share your login information with anyone else. If you think your information has been compromised, change your password immediately online and call us at 1-801-356-6699
  • Choose a hard-to-guess password by using random letters and numbers. Do not use words that can be found in a dictionary or information related to you, such as your name, address, birth date, etc.
  • Disable auto-complete or similar features on any computer you use for online banking.
  • Do not write down your password or reveal it to anyone.
  • Change your password regularly.
  • Remember to log out when you are finished banking online or are leaving the computer unattended.
  • Avoid using unfamiliar computers to conduct any online banking, as they may be compromised.

Computer

  • Keep your system and applications current with updates from vendor websites. For example, use Microsoft®’s Windows® Update feature and install any critical updates and service packs that are available.
  • Use virus and spyware protection software and keep it up to date in order to detect new threats.
  • Use a software or hardware firewall to protect your computer from network intrusion.
  • Make sure that any wireless network to which you connect your computer is secure and requires data encryption.
  • Do not download files, install software or open email attachments from unverified or unknown sources.

Tips

  • Use a secure browser. Check that your browser is compliant with Secure Socket Layer (SSL) standards by looking for the small padlock at the bottom right of your browser window and a URL that begins with https (“s” for “secure”). This ensures your private information is scrambled to prevent unauthorized access.
  • Be wary of phishing emails. These may appear to be from your bank but are really from criminals trying to lure you to a fake website to get your personal  information. Never click on embedded links if you are suspicious; instead, type the URL directly into the browser or contact your bank to verify the authenticity of the email.
  • Watch out for fraudulent websites. Always check to see that you have typed the correct website address for your bank before conducting a transaction.  Beware of copycat websites that deliberately use a name very similar to that of a real financial institution in an effort to trick you into disclosing personal information.
  • Beware of pop-ups. Watch out for sudden pop-up windows asking for personal information or warning of a virus. This is called “scareware” because it frightens people into providing information or downloading malicious software.
  • Log off and close your browser. Since browsers cache, or store, information that has been entered or viewed during secure connections, it may be possible to view personal information after you close the session. This is especially important when using a public or shared computer. You reduce this risk by logging off the online banking website (not just clicking the “X” in the top right corner of the browser) and exiting your browser. You may also consider clearing your disk and memory cache (methods vary for how to do this depending on browser type, but usually include adjusting your Internet options).

CCBank will never solicit your personal information by phone, auto-dialer, text message, email or providing links within an email requesting that you update your information. You will not receive any email notification asking you to click a link or visit a website to unlock your account or to provide any private information unless otherwise requested by you through the Online Banking password self-reset feature. If you receive an email or phone call requesting confidential information from someone claiming to represent CCBank please do not respond.

Additional Resources

We believe you will be better protected from ID theft and online security risks if you are better informed and aware of the resources available to you. The Internet is a great place to learn more from trusted and reliable sources. The links below are just a small sample of what’s available.