We ask our customer not to submit by electronic mail (email) confidential information such as social security numbers, account numbers or birthdates. Email systems do not have the necessary security measures to encrypt and maintain the data secured. Potentially all emails can be viewed by unauthorized individuals.
For more information visit the Federal Trade Commission website. You may also request educational material regarding identity theft writing to:
Consumer Response Center
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, H-130
Washington, DC 20580
The most common mechanisms utilized by identity thieves are:
1) Looking through your trash
2) Skimming
3) Phishing
4) Requesting a change of your address with the US Postal Service
5) ‘Traditional' theft (of your wallet, credit cards, other personal documents)
Protect your Internet Banking account :
You are responsible for protecting your password and account information by:
Securing your account:
- Avoid online banking on unsecured wifi systems such as Internet Cafes and public areas and operate only from PCs at home.
- Never reveal password to anyone.
- Protect your online passwords and security questions. Don’t write them down or share them with anyone.
- Never reply to online queries from a bank about account or personal details. The personal information should not be kept in a public computer or in emails.
Eliminate paper and increase security
A very easy way to protect your personal information is to limit the amount of paper that has your personal information printed on it. Criminals have been known to get this paper by stealing mail from your mailbox or even by taking it out of your trash.
Here are some ways you can eliminate paper and increase your security:
- Reduce the amount of mail you receive that displays personal information.
- Shred unnecessary financial documents immediately before throwing them away.
- Stop receiving account statements in the mail. Sign-in to Internet Banking, go to the “Statements” section on the left-hand menu, and change your statements delivery method.
Fool-proof password
Change your online banking password at regular intervals. Also, avoid easy-to-guess passwords, like first names, birthdays, kid's or spouse's name and telephone numbers. Try to have an alpha-numeric password, one that combines alphabets and numbers.
Always check 'last logged'
Oriental Online’s Internet Banking has a 'last logged in' panel on the website. If you notice irregularities (like you are logging in after two days, but the panel says you logged in that morning), report the matter immediately to your bank and change your password right away.
Always log out when you exit the online banking portal. Close the browser to ensure that your secure session is terminated. Never exit simply by closing the browser.
Keep your system up to date
Regularly check for security updates for your computer’s operating system. Most security updates are aimed at reducing risks to your computer, these may be data-related or otherwise. Make sure that your operating system and browser have the latest security patches installed. And, always install these only from trusted websites.
Install a personal firewall to prevent hackers from gaining unauthorized access to your computer, especially if you connect to the Internet through a cable or a DSL modem.
Types of Online Scams:
Phishing
Phishing involves using a form of spam to fraudulently gain access to people's online banking details. As well as targeting online banking customers, phishing emails may target online auction sites or other online payment facilities. Typically, a phishing email will ask an online banking customer to follow a link in order to update personal bank account details. If the link is followed, the victim downloads a program which captures his or her banking login details and sends them to a third party. A person's personal details can also be obtained by fraudsters posing as bankers, who float a site similar to that of the person's bank. They are asked to provide all personal information about themselves and their account to the bank on the pretext of database upgrade. The number and password are then used to carry out transactions on their behalf without their knowledge.
Spam
Spam is an electronic 'junk mail' or unwanted messages sent to your email account. These messages may try to persuade you to buy a product or service, or visit a website where you can make purchases; or they may attempt to trick you into divulging your bank account or credit card details.
Spyware
Spyware such as “Trojan Horse” is generally considered to be software that is secretly installed on a computer and takes things from it without the permission or knowledge of the user. Spyware may take personal information, business information, bandwidth; or processing capacity and secretly gives it to someone else.
The "Trojan Horse" scheme unfolds when malicious software (malware) embeds to a consumer's computer without the consumer being aware of it. Trojans often come in links or as attachments from unknown email senders. After installation the software detects when a person accesses online banking sites and records the username and password to transmit to the offender. People using public computers, in places like Internet cafes, are often susceptible to Trojans like malware or spyware.
Inform yourself of what each one of these identity theft schemes is. In education there is prevention. Defend yourself from identity theft and avoid becoming the next victim!