Identity theft and fraudulent bank transactions are among the fasted growing crimes in the U.S. Below you will find a few tips help keep your identity and your money safe.

Protecting your banking and personal information is our top priority! That’s the community banking difference.

Password Security

Creating a secure passcode

When creating an Online Banking passcode, make sure that it has the minimum number of characters and the appropriate character types. This may be challenging at the time – but the stronger the passcode, the better your protection against others trying to cause you financial harm.

Your Online Banking passcode:

  • Must be at least 7 characters long.
  • Must contain at least 1 numeric and 1 alpha character.
  • Must not be based on your personal information such as tax identification number, address or telephone number.
  • Is case sensitive.
  • Cannot be the same as your Access ID.

Secure your passcode

Just like the key to your home, passcodes help protect your “online home.”  You should do everything you can to prevent others from guessing or gaining access to your passcode.

You should always remember:

  • NEVER share your Online Banking passcode with others.
  • Make your Online Banking passcode unique to your life and not something that is easily guessed or known to others.
  • Have a different passcode for each online account.
  • Change your passcode several times a year. While Welch State Bank does NOT force passcode changes, we do recommend it as a measure to take for added online security.

Email Security Tips

Click Bait Email | HURRY HURRY HURRY

Protecting yourself from scams, especially those involving enticing offers, is so important in today’s digital time. Scammers often employ click bait tactics, sending emails, private messages, or texts claiming you’ve won prizes or cash to lure you into clicking malicious links. To shield yourself from these threats, consider the following guidelines:

  1.  Inspect Messages: Thoroughly inspect the content of emails or messages for anomalies such as misspellings, distorted logos, or suspicious email addresses. Taking a moment to review these details can often reveal inconsistencies within the message.
  2.  Hover Over Links: Before clicking any links, hover your cursor over them to view the actual destination. If an email appears to be from a familiar store but redirects you to an unfamiliar site, refrain from clicking to avoid potential harm.
  3.  Exercise Caution with Free Offers: Exercise skepticism when receiving unsolicited offers for free gift cards or money, especially if you haven’t participated in lotteries or engaged with the sending store. Genuine offers typically require some form of participation or action on your part.
  4.  Seek Verification: If you doubt the authenticity of an email, text message, or social media private message, don’t hesitate to reach out for assistance. We are here to help you determine the legitimacy of such communications. Your safety and security are our top priority.

Remember, it’s always better to err on the side of caution and verify suspicious communications.

Email Security Tips | THINK BEFORE YOU CLICK!

When utilizing personal or work email accounts, it is crucial to use caution and consider the following tips:

  1. Beware of Unsolicited Emails: Use extreme caution when dealing with unsolicited emails, particularly those requesting personal information. Treat such requests with suspicion and avoid giving any personal information.
  2. Check for Spelling Errors: Pay attention to spelling errors, as they are among the easiest and most effective ways to identify fraudulent emails impersonating legitimate businesses.
  3. Be Alert with Attachments: Be careful when opening email attachments. Hover over links to verify where they are directing you and ensure they are trustworthy before clicking.
  4. Verify Sender Details: Fraudulent emails are designed to appear authentic and may seem to come from familiar contacts like family members, coworkers, or friends. Verify the sender’s email address for exact matches, as fraudsters often use misspelled or altered addresses.

Please remember that we will never ask for your personal information or online banking credentials via email or from a phone call that you receive. If you receive such a request, it is likely fraudulent. Contact any branch location to let us know of this interaction.

Additional security tips

Welch State Bank will never request your AccessID or Passcode via email. We will never ask you to provide any personal information via unsecured email.

Keep your AccessID and Passcode safe. Do not share your information with others.

Phishing attempts are a real threat. We have seen a legitimate-looking email that appears to be from the IRS, FDIC, and even credit bureaus asking you to provide personal information or sign up for a free service. This is commonly referred to as Phishing. Do not be deceived.

Welch State Bank does not use pop-up marketing tools. If you encounter marketing solicitation pop-ups once you log in to Internet banking, your PC is infected with malware. We will NOT solicit free credit report services, check orders or any other service to our customers.

Review your bank statements on a timely basis. This is the best way to find any fraudulent transactions. The quicker you report the problem, the faster we can stop it.

Keep your anti-virus and anti-spyware protection up to date. This is critical to your security.

Keep your PC’s operating system patched. Use automatic updates if you can.>

Keep Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash Player, Java, and other programs updated. Vulnerabilities in these programs are widely used to gain access to your private information.

If you do not know who sent you the email or file, be suspicious. Take all reasonable and prudent precautions if you do not know the sender of an email. You might even know the sender, but their PC could be infected with what is referred to as a SPAMBOT. Be cautious.

If you suspect your PC is infected with a virus or spyware stop using the device. We recommend you take your PC to a reputable computer repair facility to have it cleaned of any potential threats. Viruses, Trojans and Key-logging software can search your PC for passwords, usernames, account numbers, debit card, and credit card numbers if you continue using the PC.

Identity Theft & Fraud

Tips for some best practices and steps to reduce your chances of becoming an victim of identity theft and fraud

  1. Enable multifactor authentication offered in our mobile app and other apps, websites when applicable.
  2. Use unique passphrases as passwords and differentiate them across multiple platforms. Length trumps complexity. A strong passphrase is a sentence that is at least 12 characters long.
  3. Use public Wi-Fi carefully. Limit the type of business conducted over public Wi-Fi connections, including logging in to key accounts like banking, making purchases. Monitor account activity regularly for transaction irregularities and report discrepancies to your bank.
  4. Read the fine print when purchasing items online. Do not save credit and debit card credentials on a merchant’s website or app, if prompted.
  5. Stay vigilant. Be mindful when shopping online and look for signs of illegitimate websites. Spelling or grammatical errors, missing contact information, and suspicious URLs or email addresses are all red flags.

If you have any questions, please call our Online Banking Support Department at 918-788-3373 or email us at help@welchstatebank.com.