At Infinity Bank, the security and privacy of your personal and financial information is extremely important to us. We value your trust and we make every effort to protect your information while providing you with exceptional customer service. Our privacy policy explains the precautions we take to protect your personal and financial information.
Infinity Bank also wants to help you protect yourself from identity theft and other crimes targeting consumers. The following information is provided to help you protect yourself from becoming a victim. In addition, we have provided some action items for repairing your good name if you become a victim of identity theft.
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10 Cyber Security Tips
Update Devices
Most are familiar with the annoying pop-up reminder that a computer or phone requires a software update. While it may be easy to delay the reminder for another day, it is best that consumers install those immediately. Those updates often contain critical security patches to remediate vulnerabilities. Cybercriminals often exploit these vulnerabilities to access accounts or data, but updating devices, web browsers or systems can mitigate some of the risk. You can also set automatic updates for your devices to streamline this process.
Install Anti-Virus (AV) Software for Home Devices
You should invest in AV software and make sure it periodically scans machines and updates accordingly. While paid AV software is recommended, there are free versions for consumers that offer options for Mac and Windows.
Sign Up for Alerts
Effective alerts help enhance consumer vigilance against cyber threats, providing nearly real-time insight into account activity. You should take advantage of these alerts to monitor for potential fraud. Many financial institutions and credit card companies offer alerts on purchases of a certain size or purchases made without the card present, etc. Utilize this feature to quickly know if a card number has fallen into the wrong hands and minimize the damage.
Monitor Account Activity
In addition to utilizing account alerts, you should monitor accounts or statements closely to detect any fraudulent activity as soon as possible. You should contact your financial institutions immediately if a suspicious charge is detected.
Use Secure Wi-Fi Networks
You should always use a strong password to secure your personal network and avoid using public Wi-Fi networks. It may be tempting to use public Wi-Fi at a coffee shop or airport but using unsecured Wi-Fi to access personal information including online banking accounts is risky. Cybercriminals can exploit weaknesses in public Wi-Fi to intercept valuable information, such as login credentials or payment information.
Develop Strong Passwords or Passphrases
To maximize online security, you should prioritize strong, unique passwords or passphrases for important accounts, such as email and digital banking. Complex passwords further strengthen security, so consider using a fully punctuated sentence with at least 15 characters. You should not include identifying information in passwords, including names of spouses or children, names of pets, important dates or answers to common security questions.
Enable Multi-Factor Authentication
It’s estimated nearly 64% of consumers have a password that has been exposed in one breach for other accounts. This reinforces the need for unique, strong passwords on important accounts. It is not uncommon for these credentials to make their way to the dark web and into the hands of cybercriminals. To increase protection, many websites that hold valuable information offer the option for MFA. Instead of logging in with only a username and password, users must provide a third piece of information to access their account. The third piece of information may come as a code sent via text or phone call to a specified number. Authenticator applications are a much stronger option and should be used whenever possible. MFA is not always offered, but it is currently the best way to stop account takeover and should be utilized when available, especially for accounts that may hold sensitive information, such as email accounts, online banking, and healthcare accounts.
Think before Clicking
Hackers often use SPAM email and text messages to get people to click on malicious links that lead them to download viruses or spyware, or prompt users to enter their credentials. Before clicking on a link, you should question whether the communication was expected and if the sender is familiar or legitimate. For example, an email from Apple.com would be legitimate, but an email from AppleInc.com would be forged. Before clicking on any link, hover over the link with a mouse to see the website the link directs to. If the underlying address does not match the address in the email, do not click it. You should avoid making decisions under duress, including clicking unknown links. Fraudsters often pressure their victims into making decisions, but you should evaluate the situation before letting stress set in. You should also trust your instincts if something feels off. When a call can be made to the sender to confirm that the email was sent and is legitimate, it is important that we use this option and call them at a number we have already on file for them or is known to us. Do not utilize any phone numbers reflected in the email itself.
Avoid Sharing Personal Information
You should be mindful of the personal information shared on the phone or online, especially on social media platforms. For example, fraudsters could find answers to common security questions on social media, which often include the mother’s maiden name, high school, hometown, etc. To prevent this, social media privacy settings should be monitored to ensure personal information, posts or photos are not publicly accessible.
Maintain Regular Backups of Important Data
You should keep backups of important data to avoid negative consequences from hacking or malware. You can be a victim of a variety of attacks, so maintaining backups will expedite recovery from ransomware or other types of malware. If you reset your device due to a malicious threat, you could lose all your data if it is not adequately backed up. External hard drives or flash drives are accessible and could serve as a backup option for most users.
Identity Protection
It is more important than ever in today’s climate for you to be aware of methods you can utilize to prevent having your personal information compromised.
A first and significant step is to safeguard your accounts from unauthorized access by establishing a strong password.
Here are some suggestions for creating safer passwords:
- Create passwords that contain a combination of upper and lower-case letters, numbers, and special characters (@, #, &, %) if allowed.
- Ensure that your passwords are at least eight characters. The longer the better.
- Consider a passphrase; a combination of words separated by special characters. These are easier to remember, yet more resistant to being compromised.
Avoid using:
- Account number
- Address or phone number
- Birth date or anniversary date
- Common words from the dictionary
- Social Security number
Additional precautions:
- Do not share your password with anyone
- Use a unique password for each website
- Change your password at least twice a year
It is difficult to be 100% protected as a consumer, but the following tips are provided to help you significantly reduce the likelihood of having your information compromised.
- Memorize your Social Security number and passwords for websites and your accounts.
- Never give out your ATM, debit card, or credit card PIN (Personal Identification Number).
- Never write your PIN or password on your ATM or debit/credit cards.
- Never give your Social Security number, checking account or credit card information to callers performing unsolicited sales calls.
- Never carry your Social Security card or birth certificate with you. Leave them in a secure location.
- Never leave your checkbook in your vehicle.
- Make a photocopy of the contents of your wallet: include both sides of your driver’s license and ATM, debit card, and credit cards.
- Sign new credit cards immediately after activation.
- Call the financial institution immediately if you applied for a credit card and do not receive your card when expected.
- Closely monitor the expiration dates on ATM, debit card, and credit cards and contact the issuer if you do not receive a replacement prior to the expiration date.
- Report lost or stolen checks, ATM, debit card, and credit cards immediately.
- Watch for your monthly statements and bills. If you do not get them when expected, contact the sender of the statements or bills.
- Review all bank statements and report any inaccuracies or unauthorized charges immediately.
- Match your credit card receipts against your monthly statement for accuracy. Report any inaccuracies or unauthorized charges immediately.
- Protect your ATM, debit card and credit card receipts. Never leave receipts at ATM machines, on counters at financial institutions or at the gas pump.
- Mail bills from US Postal mail drop boxes. Do not mail bills from your home mailbox.
- Beware of mail or telephone solicitations that offer prizes or awards. Especially if they ask you for personal information or financial account numbers.
- Do not reply to or click on a link in an email that threatens to close one of your accounts with little notice or no prior legitimate expectation. Instead, contact the company cited in the email by using a phone number on a billing statement that you are sure is genuine.
- Look for the “locked padlock” icon on your browser’s status bar or look for https:// at the beginning of a website address before submitting any personal or financial information online. Note, having these two features does not guarantee that the website is legitimate, this simply indicates that the website is a secure site.
Identity Theft
What is Identity Theft? According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), identity theft happens when someone uses your personal information (such as your name, social security number, credit card number or other identifying information) without your permission.
Identity thieves use various methods to obtain your personal information to commit fraud or other crimes. Unfortunately, with the wider use of the internet, it has become increasingly easier for them to trick consumers into divulging their personal information.
If you suspect Identity Theft:
If you suspect that your personal information has been compromised, consider filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.
- Call the FTC hotline at (877) ID THEFT or (877) 438-4338 to speak with a trained identity theft counselor, OR
- Submit a complaint to the FTC on their website https://www.identitytheft.gov/#/
If you suspect that your personal information, such as your Social Security number, has been compromised, contact the credit bureaus immediately and place a free 90-day Fraud Alert on your profile. A temporary Fraud Alert provides an extra level of security should anyone try to open an account using your personal information.
If you suspect a new account has been opened without your authorization, contact the credit bureaus immediately and place a free 90-day Fraud Alert on your profile. The credit bureaus are required to respond to your request for a Fraud Alert. Once a dispute has been resolved, the credit bureaus will send you an updated copy of your credit report. Review the report to make sure that all fraudulent activity has stopped and your file has been corrected.
For more information about the steps to take and for credit reports, contact:
- Equifax: (800) 525-6285 or equifax.com
- Experian: (888) 397-3742 or experian.com
- Transunion: (800) 680-7289 or transunion.com
What to do if you become a victim of Identity Theft:
You may find yourself in one or both Identity Theft situations:
- a criminal used your existing account(s), such as your checking account.
- a criminal opened new account(s) using your identity.
Call the companies where you know that fraud occurred. Explain that someone stole your identity and ask them to close or freeze the accounts so that no additional charges incur. Change login, passwords and PINS for all accounts.
Contact the fraud departments of the three credit bureaus and place a free 90-day Fraud Alert on your profile and a victim’s statement asking creditors to call you before opening new accounts or changing existing accounts. Obtain a credit report from each credit bureau and review them for any additional fraudulent activity. You are entitled to one free credit report in a two-year period.
Report the criminal activity to the Federal Trade Commission by completing the online form at identitytheft.gov or speak with a trained identity theft counselor at (FTC) at (877) ID THEFT or (877) 438-4338.
Go to your local police department with:
- a copy of your FTC Identity Theft Report
- a government-issued ID with a photo
- proof of your address (mortgage statement, rental agreement, or utility bill)
- any other proof you have of the theft (bills, IRS notices, etc.)
Keep detailed records of all actions taken by you regarding your case. Document the date, time and full name of everyone you speak to or contact concerning your case. These records will be very important as you attempt to clear your name.
What to do if you believe your Infinity Bank account has been compromised:
Infinity Bank does not contact customers to request or verify security information about login ID codes, passwords, PIN’s or other security measures in place to protect your account. However, when you contact Infinity Bank, our employees may ask for specific information to verify your identity to ensure your privacy and protection. If you feel your Infinity Bank account has been compromised, contact us at (657) 223-1000 and ask to speak to a member of Infinity Bank’s Client Services Department.
It is our goal to keep our clients informed and educated in taking the right precautions to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft and account fraud. If you have any questions, feel free to contact our Client Services Department at (657) 223-1000, Monday thru Friday 9:00 am until 5:00 pm Pacific Time.
For more information on Identity Theft and other types of account fraud, please visit the following websites:
- Annual Credit Report Website: annualcreditreport.com
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC): ftc.gov
- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC): fdic.gov
- Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force: stopfraud.gov
- U.S. Postal Service: postalinspectors.uspis.gov
Elder Abuse
Elder abuse is one of the most disturbing and rapidly growing areas of crime in our society. Abuse comes in many forms: physical, emotional and financial exploitation. The elderly are especially vulnerable to financial abuse that can be devastating, leaving them without the finances to provide for their needs. Under federal and state law, residents of skilled nursing facilities are guaranteed certain rights and protections.
Examples of financial elder abuse include embezzlement of money or any other property, telemarketing fraud, identity theft, predatory lending and home improvement and estate planning scams.
We should all be doing our part to ensure that the elderly are given the opportunity to live with security and dignity, whether they live independently, with family, in an assisted-living setting or a long-term care facility.
For more information visit the California Department of Aging visit: aging.ca.gov
You can review the Citizen’s Guide to Preventing and Reporting Elder Abuse here.
You can report Elder Abuse here.
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