Fraud and Security Protection

Cybersecurity Advisory: How to Protect Your Financial Information from Fraud

Your account security is our top priority. Banking customers nationwide are facing a sharp rise in sophisticated phishing scams, fraudulent phone calls, and identity theft attempts. Use this guide to recognize the warning signs of fraud and keep your accounts—and your personal information—safe.

Critical Safety Rules: What We Will Never Do

To protect yourself from bank impersonation scams, remember:

• We will never ask for your PIN or password
• We will never request remote access to your computer
• We will never demand immediate payment via gift cards
• We will never ask you to transfer money to a "safe" account
• We will never demand immediate payment via gift cards or cryptocurrency

If someone claiming to be from the bank asks you to do any of the above, hang up or stop responding immediately—it's a scam.

Common Banking Scams to Watch For

Phishing Emails: Fraudulent emails mimicking our branding claim your account is locked or compromised. These messages contain malicious links designed to steal your login credentials.

Smishing (Text Message Scams): Urgent text alerts about "suspicious account activity" include a link. Clicking it can install malware or direct you to a fake login page built to capture your credentials.

Vishing (Phone & Voice Scams): Scammers spoof our official phone number and pose as our fraud department, asking you to read back a one-time verification code. Legitimate banks never ask for this information over the phone.

Impersonation Scams: Criminals pose as government agencies or utility companies, demanding immediate payment via wire transfer or gift cards—both major red flags for fraud.

How to Protect Your Online Banking Information

Update your devices regularly. Keep your computer, phone, browser, and operating system current with the latest security patches. Turn on automatic updates so you're always protected against new threats.

Create strong, unique passwords. Use at least eight characters, mixing upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters for every account.

Spot phishing attempts before you click. Be cautious of unfamiliar emails, links, attachments, or pop-ups—even ones that look official. When in doubt, don't click.

Check links before you trust them. Cybercriminals disguise malicious URLs with small, easy-to-miss changes. Hover over any link to preview the real destination before clicking. For example: www.ABC-Bank.com vs. ABC_Bank.com—small differences can signal a scam.

Guard your personal information on social media. Hackers use social profiles to guess passwords and answer security questions. Lock down your privacy settings, avoid sharing details like your birthday, address, or mother's maiden name, and be cautious of connection requests from strangers.

Monitor your accounts weekly. Review your transaction history through our official app or online banking portal, and report any unfamiliar charges right away.

Trusted Cyber Fraud Resources

Bookmark these official resources to stay informed about the latest scams and threats:

• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
• Department of Homeland Security
• National Consumers League Fraud Center
• Better Business Bureau – Data Security
• Federal Trade Commission
• FBI Scams & Safety
• DHS Cybersecurity Research & Development Center
• National Cybersecurity Alliance

Wire Fraud Prevention: How to Protect Your Money from Wire Transfer Scams

Establish one absolute rule: never initiate a wire transfer based solely on an email or text request. Wire fraud relies on urgent, convincing digital messages that impersonate real estate agents, attorneys, bank employees, or company executives. Once a wire transfer is sent, funds are often moved out of the country within minutes—making recovery nearly impossible.

Critical Wire Transfer Verification Practices

Use a second communication channel. Always call the recipient using a known, trusted phone number to verbally confirm wire instructions before sending any funds.

Never trust phone numbers listed in emails. Don't call the number provided in a wire instruction email—look up the correct number independently through an official website or prior correspondence.

Treat "updated wire instructions" as a red flag. If a vendor or title company emails you claiming their wire instructions have changed, stop and call them directly to verify before proceeding.

Confirm the recipient's exact legal name. Make sure the name on the destination bank account matches your contract or vendor invoice precisely—even small discrepancies can signal fraud.

Perform a post-wire confirmation call. About 10 minutes after sending the transfer, call the recipient to confirm their bank has successfully received the funds.

Common Types of Wire Fraud Scams

Business Email Compromise (BEC): Scammers hack into an executive's or vendor's email account and send spoofed messages instructing employees to wire payments to a new, fraudulent bank account.

Real Estate & Escrow Wire Fraud: Fraudsters intercept email communications between homebuyers and title companies, sending fake urgent updates designed to divert down payments and closing funds into criminal accounts.

Grandparent & Family Emergency Scams: Criminals call posing as a relative in jail or a hospital overseas, pleading for an immediate wire transfer while demanding secrecy from other family members.

Tech Support Wire Fraud: Fake technicians claim your computer is infected, lock your screen, and demand a wire payment to "fix" the issue or protect your bank accounts.

How to Avoid Check Scams: Warning Signs of a Fake Check

The clearest sign of a check scam is the "overpayment" request. A stranger sends you a check, instructs you to deposit it, and then asks you to send a portion of the money back to them or a third party. Because banks are legally required to make deposited funds available within a few days, seeing money in your account doesn't mean the check is real. It can take weeks for a bank to discover a check is fraudulent—and if you've already spent or transferred those funds, you're responsible for repaying the full amount.

Behavioral Red Flags of Check Fraud

According to consumer alerts from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), legitimate businesses and individuals will never ask you to return excess funds. Watch for these common check scam scenarios:

Mystery Shopping & Remote Work Scams: A fake employer sends an upfront check to cover "home office equipment" or "supplies," then instructs you to wire the leftover money to a specific vendor.

Online Marketplace Overpayment Scams: A buyer purchases an item you listed online but "accidentally" writes the check for too much, then asks you to refund the difference.

Sudden Lottery or Prize Winning Scams: You receive an unexpected check for a contest you never entered, along with instructions to send back a portion to cover "taxes," "fees," or "processing costs."

High-Urgency Pressure Tactics: The sender invents a dramatic story—a medical emergency, a strict deadline—to pressure you into wiring money before your bank catches the fraud.

Physical Warning Signs of a Fake Check

While scammers use high-quality printing technology to replicate corporate and cashier's checks, close inspection often reveals telltale physical flaws.

Completely smooth edges. Authentic checks are torn from a ledger and have at least one perforated or rough edge. A check with four perfectly smooth edges was likely printed on a home desktop printer.

Low check numbers. Roughly 90% of fraudulent checks feature low numbers—such as 101–400 for personal accounts or 1000–1500 for business accounts—indicating a newly opened, unverified account.

Mismatched printing and details. Look closely for multiple fonts, skewed layouts, blurry or faded bank logos, and misspellings in the bank's name or address.

Shiny or flat MICR line. The routing and account numbers at the bottom left of a check must be printed in specialized, matte magnetic ink. If the ink looks shiny, feels raised, or rubs off when damp, the check is likely counterfeit.

Geographic discrepancies. Be suspicious if the sender is located in one state, the check is drawn from a bank in another, and the envelope's postmark originates from a completely different region or country altogether.