Be aware of online fraud methods and become informed of ways you can protect yourself while on the internet. Online fraud is serious. Internet criminals use several methods to try and steal your personal information or take control of your home or business computer.
Report suspicious activity you notice relating to your computer or use of your computer to the appropriate parties and do so as quickly as possible. If you notice suspicious activity relating to accounts at bankHometown, promptly report that activity to us at 888.307.5887.
Types of Online Fraud
- Phishing – Fraudulent emails that attempt to trick you into visiting a bogus website and providing personal information.
- Malware – Software that is malicious, such as viruses, worms and spyware, and is used to take remote control of a computer, delete files or install programs.
- Keystroke Logging – A form of malware that enables a criminal to record computer keystrokes. These programs specifically look for user IDs, passwords and credit card numbers. The thieves then use this information to access accounts online and steal funds, capture personal financial information and order merchandise.
- Trojan Horses – Another form of malware that use a legitimate-looking program (such as free screen saver) that includes malicious software. These are used to trick users into installing keystroke logging and other malicious software.
Protect Online Information
- Control physical access to your personal computer (PC). Take appropriate measures to prevent unauthorized persons from using your PC.
- If you are using your PC and need to walk away from it for any reason, log off or lock your workstation.
- Select passwords that would be difficult for others to guess and change them frequently. Use a combination of upper- and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters.
- Do not give out your password to anyone. Do not save passwords on a website or leave written notes with your password near your computer.
- Public computers may not have appropriate security controls and could be compromised. These include Internet cafes, computer labs, shared systems, kiosk systems, conferences, and airport lounges. Only use these computers for anonymous Internet browsing.
- Use your online accounts at least every month to check balances and activity.
- Always log off your business or personal internet banking application when you are done.
- Do not respond to or follow instructions from unusual email or text messages. Oftentimes, fraud is initiated by messages with a fake “From” address. Do not assume a message is legitimate solely based on the “From” address.
Protect Your Personal or Business Computer
- Install virus management software on your PC and scan it regularly.
- Keep your virus files up to date (i.e., latest signature files, product upgrades).
- Install a firewall to protect each computer or a home router that includes a firewall to protect your home network.
- Keep your computers up to date with current security patches. Set up your computers to automatically install patches so you don’t have to remember.
- Be cautious when downloading and running programs or Java or ActiveX applets as they may contain unsecure data which cannot be filtered, for example, using firewall or anti-virus software. Only download from a trusted site.
- Use extreme caution when opening email received from unknown sources and pay special attention to any attachments. Do not launch or open an attachment from an unknown source. When in doubt, delete the email without opening it.
PC Software
- Understand and use the security features provided by your PC software, such as those included in many operating systems, browsers and word processing systems.
- Ensure that your browser uses the strongest encryption available and be aware of the level of encryption used when you connect to various sites and applications for online payment or banking services.
- Use only software from reliable and known vendors. Stay abreast of the latest release and patch levels of the PC software you use.
