Customer Online Safeguards
There are some easy ways to keep your personal information or account information safe by providing your information only to those you trust and have verified to be legitimate.
Be skeptical when providing your personal information. If you can’t verify the identity of the business or person that you may be providing your information to, or if you don’t know why a certain piece of information is needed, don’t provide it.
Here are some tips to follow:
Protect your Personal Information:
- Do not give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you've initiated the contact and are sure you know whom you're dealing with.
- Do not 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.
- Do not put your Social Security number or phone number on your checks.
- Do not put your address, phone number, or driver's license number on credit card sales receipts.
- 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.
- Do not share your ATM, Debit or Credit Cards with anyone.
- 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 to request that your mail be held until you return.
- 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?
- Review your online account information frequently and your statements promptly. Let us know right away if you see something you do not recognize. Using our Priority Alerts service can help you monitor your accounts. Balance your checkbook every month. If you do not receive a statement, let us know right away.
- Obtain and review a copy of your credit report periodically. This is one way to find out about identity theft.
- Do not use public computers or public Internet access such as "Internet Cafes" or "Free Wifi" to conduct financial transactions such as online banking.
Secure Your Computer and Your Online Transaction Experience:
Your computer is your first line of defense on the Internet, and with some diligence, you can greatly improve your security:
- Keep your operating system and browser up to date.
- Install a personal firewall.
- Make sure your computer has both an anti-spyware protection program that detects and removes spyware and an anti-virus program. Keep both programs updated. Scan your computer for viruses and spyware on a regular basis.
- Be very protective of your personal account information. There are criminals who try to trick you by creating sites that look similar to real sites. The best way to know who you are dealing with is to type the address in your browser address bar, don't click on a link that's provided to you via email.
- If you receive an email using our name and asking for your personal or account information, please contact us immediately. We will never send you an email or contact you unsolicited to ask for your account number, online ID or password.
- Do not open attachments in email messages if you do not know the sender. Attachments can contain viruses and spyware.
- Choose an online ID and password that is difficult for others to guess. Do not use birth dates, names, or other easily guessed information. If possible, use both letters and numbers, and a combination of lowercase and capital letters. Also, use a different ID and password for each of your online sites. Do not share these credentials with anyone and change your password frequently.
- Check to see if the browser that you are using has "Auto Complete" turned off. This is a feature that comes with your browser that remembers your ID and password so that once you start typing in your ID, your password fills in automatically for you. We recommend that you turn off this feature for security reasons. If another person should know your ID, then by having your browser fill in the password automatically, that person can now access all of your account information. Additionally, never check the "Remember Me" or "Remember Password" box.
- Use a current web browser. Newer browsers are being deployed with your security in mind. See our Frequently Asked Questions to see our browser recommendations.
- Avoid downloading programs from unknown sources. Some sources may have hidden spyware or viruses that could compromise the security of your computer. You can verify secure sites by double-clicking on the padlock icon located at the bottom of your browser application and reading the site information in the box that appears.
- Activate a pop-up blocker from a trustworthy source.
- When your computer is not in use, shut it down or disconnect it from the Internet.
- Always sign off from your transaction session and close your browser. You should open a new browser before visiting other websites.
- Standard email is not a secure means of sending sensitive data, such as financial or other personal information. If you need to provide us with sensitive information like your account numbers or social security number, contact us by mail, fax, or telephone rather than by email.
If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us without delay.