Protecting Yourself Against Fraud
Iowa Trust and Savings Bank wants to help you protect yourself against online schemes. E-mail fraud is one of the more common and damaging methods used to scam customers on the Internet today. By educating yourself and following some simple tips you'll be less likely to fall victim to one of these schemes. Iowa Trust and Savings Bank will never ask you to send personal or financial information by, in response to, or via a link in an email. An employee of Iowa Trust and Savings Bank will never initiate a phone call asking for financial information, such as your account numbers, social security numbers or balances. If you place a call to Iowa Trust and Savings Bank, we may ask you for specific information in an attempt to verify your identity before disclosing financial information. If we have reason to doubt the authenticity of a caller, we are not required to provide financial information.
Common Online Fraud Schemes:
Phishing- Phishing schemes used forged emails claiming to be from someone (an individual or company) you know and trust. They attempt to get you to reveal sensitive information like user IDs, passwords, account numbers or other sensitive data. Criminals will use this data to access your accounts, financial information and/or your identity.
Spoofing- Many forged emails ask you to supply, confirm, or update personal information by clicking on a link in the email. The link will connect you to a Web page or login that appears to belong to the company mentioned in the email. This is referred to as a "spoofed" site. Often the site looks just like the company's site--but it's not. The spoof may be a pop up window or an embedded image over the actual site. The goal of the criminal is to get you to enter your personal data so they can steal your information. Contact us at the bank if you receive suspicious email at 641-437-4500. If you choose to email us from our website, information entered into this email is not encrypted. Please do not include any sensitive information such as PIN numbers, Social Security Numbers or account numbers. If you suspect you've received a fraudulent email, DO NOT RESPOND to the email. Instead, contact us as soon as possible at 641-437-4500.
Prevention Tips:
1. Don't open email from senders you do not know.
2. Never access a web site from a link in an email, especially a web site that asks for personal information.
3. If you have any doubts about the authenticity of an email, do not respond, call the sender or type in the web address.
4. Beware of emails sent offering you a prize or a discount and then asking you to choose a user id and password (most people use the same access information for several accounts- easier to remember- thieves will collect your login information and try them at other sites, like financial institutions or credit card sites).
5. Do monitor your account activity closely and watch for unusual activity- You can use Iowa Trust and Savings Bank Online or Mobile Banking to monitor account balances 24/7.
6. Change your password regularly.
7. Note that fraudulent email often includes misspellings and poor grammar.
8. Update your anit-virus software frequently.
9. Beware of emails with a sense of urgency; attempting to rush you into action. Messages like, "Update now or we'll close your account, " etc.
10. Do not include personal or sensitive data in, or in response to, an email.
11. You can protect yourself from fraud. Knowledge is the first line of defense. Learn what types of fraud exist and how to prevent them.
Fight Identity Theft
Here are tips to avoid identity crimes before they happen:
1. Do not give out financial information.
2. Report lost or stolen checks and debit cards immediately.
3. Closely guard your Debit Card PIN (Personal Identification Number) and receipts.
4. Shred any financial solicitations and bank statements before disposing of them.
5. Put outgoing mail into a secure, official postal service collection box.
6. If your regular bills fail to reach you, call the company to find out why.
7. If your bills contain questionable items, don't ignore them, instead investigate immediately.
8. Periodically contact the major credit reporting companies to review your credit file and make sure the information is correct. You have the right to obtain an annual credit report free of charge. To obtain a free credit report, contact (877)322-8228 or online at http://www.annualcreditreport.com.
Consumers who reasonably suspect they have been or may be a victim of identity theft can place an alert on their credit files. The alert will put potential creditors on notice that they must proceed with caution when granting credit.
Credit Reporting Bureaus:
Equifax (https://www.equifax.com):
Experian (https://www.experian.com):
TransUnion (https://www.transunion.com):
If you have any questions or concerns about protecting your financial identity, come in and visit us or call us at 641-437-4500.
To report your Iowa Trust and Savings Bank SHAZAM Debit card lost or stolen, please contact us at 641-437-4500 during normal business hours. To report after hours call SHAZAM at 1-800-383-8000.