Potential Fraud Alert
Please be advised that at this time of year, there may be increased activity by defrauders who send false communications intending to obtain your customer information so they can commit fraud or identity theft. These communications may use the year end date of December 31, 2006 as a way to try to "authenticate" their requests.
For example, communications purporting to be from one of our family of banks - Union Bank and Trust Company, Northern Neck State Bank, Rappahannock National Bank, Bay Community Bank, or Prosperity Bank & Trust Company - could inform you that due to "federal" or "FFIEC" guidance, the bank is required to change its security procedures, and so you could be asked to re-register or provide personal information to enable the bank to comply with federal regulations.
Sophisticated schemes may employ multiple methods to "convince" you of their legitimacy. You could receive an e-mail, a phone call, or something in the mail. Common fraudulent practices include cloning the web sites, logos, and e-mail formats of banks, as well as using the "FFIEC" logo. Some messages may even provide a "link" to one or more regulatory agencies.
You can recognize fraudulent activity if someone requests information such as your social security number, account numbers, passwords, or your validation questions and answers. Unless you initiate the call, employees of Union Bank and Trust Company, Northern Neck State Bank, Rappahannock National Bank, Bay Community Bank, and Prosperity Bank & Trust Company will not ask you for your social security number, account number, password, or personal identification number (PIN) because they already have this information on file.
In anticipation of these potential fraudulent schemes, we are taking this opportunity to inform you well in advance of December 31, 2006 that between now and then there will not be any changes to Union Bank and Trust Company, Northern Neck State Bank, Rappahannock National Bank, Bay Community Bank, or Prosperity Bank & Trust Company's Internet or electronic banking applications, and no changes are expected in the near future.
Please always call the bank for verification before responding to any request for the kinds of information we have described in this alert. If you have any questions, you may call 1-866-593-1100 and we will assist you in any way we can.
How We Protect You
Keeping your online financial and personal information secure and confidential remains one of our top priorities.
We ensure your privacy and security by offering technology and services designed by the brightest minds in the online banking industry.
Encryption: The privacy of communications between you (your browser) and our servers is ensured via encryption. Encryption scrambles messages exchanged between your browser and our online banking server.
Password Complexity: It is important to verify that only authorized persons log into online banking. This is achieved by verifying your password. When you submit your password, it is compared with the password we have stored in our secure data center. We allow you to enter your password incorrectly a limited number of times; too many incorrect passwords will result in the locking of your online banking account until you call us to reinitialize the account. We monitor and record "bad-login" attempts to detect any suspicious activity (i.e. someone trying to guess your password). You play a crucial role in preventing others from logging on to your account. Never use easy-to-guess passwords.
Examples:
Never reveal your password to another person. You should periodically change your password in the User Option section of Internet Banking.
Secure Architecture: The computers storing your actual account information are not linked directly to the Internet.
Online Banking Features that promote Security: We provide a number of additional security features in online banking to help protect you:
Timeout: This prevents curious persons from continuing your online banking session if you left your PC unattended without logging out.
You may set the timeout period in online banking's User Options screen. We recommend that you always sign off (log out) when done banking online.
Online Statements: Online statements are facsimiles of traditional financial statements packaged and delivered to you securely within Internet Banking. By eliminating your paper statement, you help stop thieves from stealing your information out of your mailbox.
Check Images: View an exact facsimile of your check transactions online to help prevent fraud.
Alerts: Check clear alerts, payment alerts, and balance alerts are financial tools we provide to help you to monitor your accounts more actively and to detect suspicious activity more easily.
GLOSSARY
Frequently used online identify theft and online security terminology.
A | B | D | E | F | H | K | M | O | P | S | T | V | W
AntiVirus Software
A computer software program that detects and responds to viruses and worms, blocking access to infected files and performing frequent updates.
Browser
A computer software program that is used to view and interact with Internet material on the World Wide Web. Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer are two of the most popular browsers.
Dumpster Diving
Thieves rummage through trash looking for bills or other paper that includes your personal information.
Encryption
A process in which data is scrambled before it is transferred so that it cannot be read by unauthorized parties.
Enhanced Security Login
Provides security at login, no matter what computer you sign in from, using additional end user authentication that helps to protect against online fraud.
Firewall
A gateway supported by hardware or software that limits access between computer networks. Firewalls can protect your home computer from hackers and your family from web sites that may contain offensive material.
Hacker
A person who tries to gain unauthorized access to a computer system. Hackers are known to modify computer programs and security systems that protect home and office computers.
Keystroke Capture
A spyware program or device that records what user's type on their computer. Also referred to as Keystroke Logger.
Malware
Also known as 'malicious software', malware is designed to harm attack or take unauthorized control over a computer system. See Virus, Trojan and Worm.
Opt-In
Permission granted to a business or organization to use your email address for promotional or marketing purposes, or to rent your email address to another organization.
Opt-Out
The opposite of Opt-In- not granting permission for a business or organization to use your email address for promotional or marketing purposes, or to rent your email address to another organization.
Patch
A new software release created to update a computer software program. Updates may include security, performance, or usability enhancements.
Pharming
Pharming takes place when users type in a valid URL and you are illegally redirected to a web site that is not legitimate in order to capture personal information through the internet such as credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security number and other sensitive information.
Phishing
The process of seeking to obtain personal information illegally through email or pop-up messages in order to deceive you into disclosing your credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security number, passwords, or other sensitive information.
Pop-Up Ads
A form of web advertising that appears as a "pop-up" on a computer screen, they are intended to increase web traffic or capture email addresses. However, sometimes popup ads are designed with malicious intent like when they appear as a request for personal information from a financial institution.
Privacy Policy
A standard policy included on most corporate websites that explains how personal information collected about visitors to a company's site is handled.
Service Pack
A software program that updates fixes and/or enhances a software program found on your computer, typically delivered in the form of a single, installable package.
Skimming
When an unauthorized second copy of a credit or debit card is taken by an employee at a store by using a storage device that copies the details held within the card's magnetic strip.
Spam
Unsolicited bulk electronic "junk" messages sent to huge numbers of people via email, instant messaging, Usenet newsgroups, and more.
Spoofing
A form of phishing, a way for cyber criminals to send emails that looks legitimate, but is not, to falsely represent a legitimate company or organization. The false email from phishing will include a phony link to what closely resembles a legitimate website address. Once click upon, the victim is asked to provide personal information which is then forwarded to criminals.
Spyware
Loaded onto your computer unbeknownst to you, spyware is a type of program that watches what users do and forwards information to hackers over the Internet.
Trojan Horse
A malicious program that is disguised or embedded within legitimate software program that, when activated, unwittingly allows hackers to gain unauthorized access to the computer.
Virus
A self-replicating computer program, loaded on to your computer without your knowledge that spreads by making copies of itself and clogging up your computer's memory.
Worm
Similar to a computer virus, a worm attaches itself to, and becomes part of, another executable program. Able to self-propagate, worms generally harm the network and consume bandwidth.