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Focus on Security

How to Prevent Identity Theft, Phishing & Other Security Threats

The best way to counteract those who wish to steal your personal information is to be informed about the risks and take proactive steps to protect yourself. Central Bank’s top priority is your security, so we've compiled security resources to help you keep your information safe.

Securing Financial Information

The following are ten valuable security steps you can take to help keep your financial accounts secure.

1. Enable multi-factor authentication for all online services including email and financial accounts.

2. Monitor your financial accounts by setting up alerts for account activity and maintenance. Central Bank’s Online Banking offers some fantastic text and email notifications!

3. Use Central Bank’s Online Banking and Mobile Banking to review activity at least weekly. The faster a fraudulent transaction is identified, the easier it is to correct!

4. Do not respond to unsolicited e-mails, telephone calls or text messages asking for personal information. Central Bank will not contact you requesting this type of information.

5. Use a password manager to create and store your passwords. Using simple passwords or reusing the same password on different websites makes your account much easier for bad actors to access illegally.

6. Do not store confidential information on computers, flash drives, cell phones or other electronic devices without securing the information with encryption or password protection.

7. Make sure any device you use to connect to Online Banking has all security updates installed. Do not use insecure wireless connections to access financial services.

8. Cancel credit or debit cards you no longer use.

9. Each year, request a free credit report from the three credit reporting companies at www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling (877) 322-8228. Reviewing these reports can help detect fraud. Remember to also request credit reports for underage members of your household — fraudsters often focus on young people because their credit is not established yet.

10. Ask a Central Bank team member about anti-fraud programs and make sure we have your current contact information.

Pharming

Pharming involves either malicious software, like a virus, installed on a computer or the corruption of an Internet address book called a DNS server. The goal of those responsible for pharming scams, like phishing scams, is to acquire user names, passwords, credit card numbers and other non-public information.

Some tips you can follow to help avoid being the recipient of an attack:

Make sure your computer has all the latest updates and patches for its operating system.
Have routinely updated anti-virus and anti-spyware software installed on your computer.
Monitor financial statements on a regular basis.
Look for a padlock icon for a secure website (Usually located on the bottom right of your Internet browser screen) .
Don’t open/download suspicious files inside of emails or websites.
Change passwords often and keep them complex enough so others can’t guess them easily.
If you believe you are at a non-legitimate website, enter an incorrect user name and password. A fictitious website may accept them; a legitimate website will not.

Central Bank believes online banking is still one of the most secure and convenient ways for you to manage your accounts. If you have any questions about security or other issues related to your accounts, please feel free to contact us at (712) 732-2190. If you would like more information about phishing and other security issues please visit www.fdic.gov or www.ftc.gov.

Phishing

Phishing usually involves the use of seemingly legitimate email messages and websites to deceive consumers into disclosing sensitive information including: user names, passwords, PINs, Social Security numbers, account numbers, credit card numbers and other personal information. Often the perpetrators of this type of scam will send an email message claiming to be from a financial institution and have a link to a website where customers can update or validate their information. Central Bank will not send any emails with links to our website or request any confidential information through an email. It you receive such an email, please notify us and do not follow any instructions in the email message.

Some simple tips you can follow to help outwit identification thieves are:

Never directly respond to an e-mail message asking for personal information.
If you doubt a message’s authenticity, verify it by contacting the institution itself.
Avoid non-valid websites by typing the web addresses directly into the address line on your browser (Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari.)
If you believe you are at a non-legitimate website, enter an incorrect user name and password. A phishing site may accept them; a legitimate website will not.

Forward the fraudulent spam to the Federal Trade Commission at spam@uce.gov or call (877) 382-4357. If you would like more information about phishing and other security issues, please visit www.fdic.gov or www.ftc.gov.

Central Bank has systems in place to make Online Banking a secure and convenient way for you to manage your accounts. If you have any questions about security or other issues related to your accounts, please feel free to contact us at (866) 732-2190