•  Cyber crimes, like phishing, costs consumers, businesses, and the government billions of dollars every year. While only 9% of all information breaches involve the use of the Internet the Federal Trade Commission reports there were already almost 10 million victims of identity theft each year and the potential for fraud grows every day.
• To counteract the growing threat, the Federal Trade Commission’s maintains OnGuard Online, a web site that has information concerning Identity Theft, Internet Auctions, Spyware, Wireless Network Security, Phishing, Social Networking Sites, SPAM Scams, Online Shopping Security, Peer to Peer (P2P) File Sharing, VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol), and Cross Border Scams.
• The OnGuard Online web site includes resources like videos, tutorials, and interactive activities to educate adults and children in the dangers of internet borne thieves and scammers.
• We encourage all of our customers to visit OnGuard Online. We encourage you watch the videos and take the quizzes so that you will be better prepared for the new frontier of cyberspace. The World Wide Web is wonderful place with amazing potential. Just don’t get caught off guard by the bad guys
  

• Phishing is a high-tech scam that uses spam or pop-up messages to deceive you into disclosing your credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security Number, passwords, or other sensitive information.
• According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), phishers send an email or pop-up message that claims to be from a business or organization that you deal with – for example, your Internet service provider (ISP), your bank, online payment service, or even a government agency. The message usually says that you need to “update” or “validate” your account information. It might threaten some dire consequences if you don’t respond. The message directs you to a website that looks just like a legitimate organization’s site, but it isn’t. The purpose of the bogus site? To trick you into divulging your personal information so the operators can steal your identity and run up bills or commits crimes in your name.
  

1.  If you get an email or pop-up message that asks for personal or financial information, do not reply or click on the link in the message. Legitimate companies don’t ask for this information via email. If you are concerned about your account, contact the organization in the email using a telephone number you know to be genuine, or open a new Internet browser session and type in the company’s correct Web address. In any case, don’t cut and paste the link in the message.
2. Don’t email personal or financial information. Email is not a secure method of transmitting personal information. If you initiate a transaction and want to provide your personal or financial information through an organization’s website, look for indicators that the site is secure, like a lock icon on the browser’s status bar or a URL for a website that begins “https:” (the “s” stands for “secure”). Unfortunately, no indicator is foolproof; some phishers have forged security icons.
3. Review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you receive them to determine whether there are any unauthorized charges. If your statement is late by more than a couple of days, call your credit card company or bank to confirm your billing address and account balances.
4. Use anti-virus software and keep it up to date. Some phishing emails contain software that can harm your computer or track your activities on the Internet without your knowledge. Anti-virus software and a firewall can protect you from inadvertently accepting such unwanted files. Anti-virus software scans incoming communications for troublesome files. Look for anti-virus software that recognizes current viruses as well as older ones; that can effectively reverse the damage; and that updates automatically.
5. A firewall helps make you invisible on the Internet and blocks all communications from unauthorized sources. It’s especially important to run a firewall if you have a broadband connection. Finally, your operating system (like Windows or Linux) may offer free software “patches” to close holes in the system that hackers or phishers could exploit.
6. Be cautious about opening any attachment or downloading any files from emails you receive, regardless of who sent them.
   

• Be cautious about disclosing your account number over the phone unless you know you're dealing with a reputable company.
• Never put your account number on the outside of an envelope or on a postcard.
• Draw a line through blank spaces on charge or debit slips above the total so the amount cannot be changed.
• Don't sign a blank charge or debit slip.
• Tear up carbons and save your receipts to check against your monthly statements.
• Cut up old cards - cutting through the account number - before disposing of them.
• Open monthly statements promptly and compare them with your receipts. Report mistakes or discrepancies as soon as possible to the special address listed on your statement for inquiries. Under the FCBA (credit cards) and the EFTA (ATM or debit cards), the card issuer must investigate errors reported to them within 60 days of the date your statement was mailed to you.
• Keep a record - in a safe place separate from your cards - of your account numbers, expiration dates, and the telephone numbers of each card issuer so you can report a loss quickly.
• Carry only those cards that you anticipate you'll need.
  

• Don't carry your PIN in your wallet or purse or write it on your ATM or debit card.
• Never write your PIN on the outside of a deposit slip, an envelope, or other papers that could be easily lost or seen.
• Carefully check ATM or debit card transactions before you enter the PIN or before you sign the receipt; the funds for this item will be fairly quickly transferred out of your checking or other deposit account.
• Periodically check your account activity. This is particularly important if you bank online. Compare the current balance and recent withdrawals or transfers to those you've recorded, including your current ATM and debit card withdrawals and purchases and your recent checks. If you notice transactions you didn't make, or if your balance has dropped suddenly without activity by you, immediately report the problem to your card issuer. Someone may have co-opted your account information to commit fraud.