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Web Security, Fake Emails and Websites

 

A word about security

Atlas Bank has taken every possible precaution to ensure that every transaction made with our on-line banking service is protected to the fullest extent that modern technology and security methods allow. Whether you visit our branch in person or call us at our branch location or login to our website www.atlasbank.com. You will notice that we have utilized the very latest in data encryption and firewall technology. For security reasons, we recommend that you use the newest version of your browser. To download the latest version, please visit the *browser's homepage such as Internet Explorer® and Firefox® or other standards-compliant browsers. We also recommend you install the latest versions of virus detection software, firewalls and spyware scanning tools to reduce computer infections. Find out more information by reading what you can do on your part--to stay protected.

What you can do on your part--to stay protected

Identity Theft

What is identity theft?

Identity theft occurs when someone acquires your personal information and uses it without your knowledge to commit fraud or theft. It is a serious crime and cases are growing. An all-too-common example is when an identity thief uses your personal information to open a credit card account in your name.

No matter how cautious you are, there is no way to completely prevent identity theft from occurring. But there are ways you can help minimize your risk. This page contains valuable information on how you can protect yourself by managing your personal information wisely, the warning signs of identity theft, and what to do if you do become a victim.

Helpful Tips

• Don't give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you've initiated the contact or are sure you know whom you're dealing with.
• Don't carry your Social Security card with you; leave it in a secure place. Carry only the identification and credit and debit cards that you need.
• Don't put your address, phone number, or drivers license number on credit card sales receipts.
• Social Security numbers or phone numbers should not be put on your checks.
• Shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements, checks and bank statements, expired charge cards that you're discarding, and credit offers you get in the mail.
• Secure your credit card, bank, and phone accounts with passwords. Avoid using easily available information like birth date, the last four digits of your SSN, or your phone number. When opening new accounts, you may find that many businesses still have a line on their applications for your mother's maiden name. Use a password instead.
• Secure personal information in your home, particularly if you have roommates or hire outside help.
• Promptly remove mail from your mailbox. If you're planning to be away from home and can't pick up your mail, call the U.S. Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777 to request a vacation hold.
• Ask about information security procedures in your workplace. Find out who has access to your personal information and verify that records are kept in a secure location. Ask about the disposal procedures for those records as well.
• Before revealing any personally identifying information (for example, on an application), find out how it will be used and secured, and whether it will be shared with others. Ask if you have a choice about the use of your information. Can you choose to have it kept confidential?

Check your credit report

Order copies of your credit report once a year to ensure accuracy. You may call 1-877-322-8228 for a FREE credit report from any or all three credit reporting agencies. (The law allows credit bureaus to charge you up to $9.00 for an additional copy of your credit report.)

Make sure it is accurate and includes only those activities you have authorized.

By checking your report on a regular basis you can catch mistakes and fraud before they wreak havoc on your personal finances. Don't underestimate the importance of this step. 

Credit Bureaus

Equifax - www.equifax.com
To order your report, call: 1-800-685-1111
To report fraud, call: 1-800-525-6285

Experian - www.experian.com 
To order your credit report or report fraud, call: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)

TransUnion - www.transunion.com 
To order your report, call: 800-916-8800
To report fraud, call: 1-800-680-7289 

Phishing

Protect Yourself Against Phishing

Phishing usually comes in the form of fraudulent emails that appear to come from legitimate sources. These ask customers to verify personal information or link to counterfeit Web sites that appear real.

Watch for emails that:

• Urge you to act quickly because your account may be suspended or closed, or to update your personal information.
• Don't address you by name, but use a more generic one like "Dear valued customer."
• Ask for account numbers, passwords, Access IDs, or other personal information.

Atlas Bank will NEVER ask for sensitive information, such as account numbers, access IDs or passwords, via e-mail.

Tips from the American Bankers Association for safeguarding your information:

• Do not give your Social Security number or other personal credit information about yourself to anyone who calls you.
• Tear up receipts, bank statements and unused credit card offers before throwing them away.
• Keep an eye out for any missing mail.
• Do not mail bills from your own mailbox with the flag up.
• Review your monthly accounts regularly for any unauthorized charges.
• Order copies of your credit report once a year to ensure accuracy. You may call 1-877-322-8228 for a free credit report from any or all three credit reporting agencies.
• Do business with companies you know are reputable, particularly online.
• Do not open email from unknown sources and use virus detection software.
• Protect your PINs (don’t carry them in your wallet!) and passwords; use a combination of letters and numbers for your passwords and change them periodically.
• Report any suspected fraud to your bank and the fraud units of the three credit reporting agencies immediately.

TransUnion: (800) 680-7289
Experian: (888) 397-3742
Equifax: (800) 525-6285 

If you become a victim, contact:

• The fraud departments of the three major credit reporting agencies
• The creditors of any accounts that have been misused
• The local police to file a report
• The bank to cancel existing accounts held in your name and re-open new accounts with new passwords

Atlas Bank is committed to safeguarding our customers’ financial information. Maintaining our customers' trust and confidence is a top priority. To learn more about how we protect your information, you may view our privacy policy. 

As our customer, from time to time we may email you information about special products and offers. Taking advantage of these opportunities can be a wonderful way to reach your financial goals. However, make sure the email you receive is really from us. Sometimes, unscrupulous criminals send out emails to try to obtain your personal financial information to commit fraud. We will NEVER send you an email asking you for user names, passwords and account ID information.

** If you suspect you have received a fraudulent email that uses our bank's name, please forward it to info@atlasbank.com immediately.**

About Online Fraud:

Online fraud occurs when someone poses as a legitimate company to obtain sensitive personal data and illegally conducts transactions on your existing accounts. Often called “phishing” or “spoofing,” the most current methods of online fraud are fake emails, Web sites and pop-up windows, or any combination of these.

REMEMBER:
We will never request our customers to update their personal information via web links contained within emails.

Fake emails will often:

• Ask you for personal information. Fake emails often contain an overly generic greeting and may claim that your information has been compromised, that your account has been frozen, or ask you to confirm the authenticity of your transactions.
• Appear to be from a legitimate source. While some emails are easy to identify as fraudulent, others may appear to be from a legitimate address and trusted online source. However, you should not rely on the name or address in the “From” field, as this is easily altered.
• Contain fraudulent job offers. Some fake emails appear to be from companies offering jobs. These are often work-at-home accounting positions which are actually schemes that victimize both the job applicant and other customers. Be sure to confirm that the job offer is from a known and trusted company.
• Contain prizes or gift certificate offers. Some fake emails promise a prize or gift certificate in exchange for completing a survey or answering questions. In order to collect the alleged prize or gift certificate you may be directed to provide your personal information. Just like with job offers, be sure to confirm that prize or gift certificate is being issued from a known and trusted company.
• Link to counterfeit Web sites. Fake emails may direct you to counterfeit Web sites carefully designed to look real, but which actually collect personal information for illegal use.
• Link to real Web sites. In addition to links to counterfeit Web sites, some fake emails also include links to legitimate Web sites. The fraudsters do this in an attempt to make a fake email appear real.
• Contain fraudulent phone numbers. Fake emails often contain telephone numbers that are tied to the fraudsters. Never call a number featured on an email you suspect is fraudulent, and be sure to double-check any numbers you do call.
• Contain real phone numbers. Some of the telephone numbers listed in fake emails may be legitimate, connecting to actual companies. Just like with links, fraudsters include the real phone numbers in an effort to make the email appear to be legitimate.
  

Counterfeit Web sites

Online thieves often direct you to fraudulent Web sites via email and pop-up windows and try to collect your personal information. In many cases there is no easy way to determine that you are on a phony Web site because the URL will contain the name of the institution it is spoofing. However, if you type, or cut and paste, the URL into a new Web browser window and it does not take you to a legitimate Web site, or you get an error message, it was probably just a cover for a fake Web site. Another way to detect a phony Web site is to consider how you arrived there. Generally, you were directed by a link in a fake email requesting your account information. Again, we will not request personal information from customers via email and any unsolicited request should be considered fraudulent and reported immediately.

Atlas Bank is committed to safeguarding our customers’ financial information. Maintaining our customers' trust and confidence is a top priority.
To learn more about how we protect your information, you may view our privacy policy.

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