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Important Security Information |
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| At Susquehanna, security and privacy of your financial information is a top priority.
In addition to our many thorough security features, we want to keep our customers
aware of how to best protect their accounts. Please review the information below
to learn about protecting the security of your personal and private customer information
as well as information on frequently used Internet and e-mail scams. |
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| Disclosing Personal Information |
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It is often necessary to ask for certain personal information when a customer calls
or visits a branch or logs into our Web site. Requiring the disclosure of personal
information before beginning a transaction is a valuable security tool to verify
and protect a customer’s identity. Unfortunately, personal information shared on
the Internet or telephone may be used to commit fraud, so provide this information
only to businesses you know and trust.
Susquehanna will NEVER independently call a customer or send an e-mail asking a
customer to disclose account numbers, ATM or debit card numbers, passwords, or other
personal information. If at any time you receive an unsolicited telephone call or
e-mail from a person claiming to be a representative of Susquehanna asking for personal
or identifying account information, do not respond. Instead, please call our Customer
Service Center to verify that you are communicating with a Susquehanna representative.
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| Phishing |
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| Be Alert for Potential Email Scams |
Susquehanna cautions consumers to be on the lookout for phishing scams in which
various fraudulent emails claiming to come from Susquehanna ask recipients to click
on hyperlinks to update account information, unlock debit cards, receive a tax rebate
or refund, or complete a survey to receive a fee. These are not legitimate emails
from the bank; instead, they are fraudulent emails sent as part of a scam in which
criminals try to trick people into divulging their confidential information. Recipients
should not click on any links in these emails or respond with any confidential information
such as account numbers, debit card numbers or Social Security Numbers. Clicking
on a link in this type of email could expose a computer to malicious software that
could track keystrokes, potentially giving the scammers private information such
as account passwords. Fraudulent emails such as these may look official, sometimes
including the company logo. Susquehanna does not send out unsolicited emails asking
its customers to click on a hyperlink and input confidential account or debit card
information. If you have questions about whether a communication you’ve received
is legitimate, please contact the bank using a phone number you know is reliable,
such as the customer service number found on your account statements or in the upper
right corner of each page on our website. If you receive an email that you believe
may be fraudulent, you can notify us by emailing
reportfraud@susquehanna.net
or
calling 1-888-566-2366.
We recommend the following actions if you think you are a victim of a phishing scam.
- If you have given out your bank account information:
Contact us
as soon as possible so we may close your account and reopen a like account
with a different account number. - If you have given out your credit, debit,
or ATM card information:
Report the incident to the card issuer as soon as possible and request that your
card be closed and a new card with a different number be issued to you. Monitor
your account activity regularly and contact the card issuer immediately if any unauthorized
charges appear.
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| Scams Related to Online Customer
Authentication |
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There are some new online scams that have begun occurring as banks
like Susquehanna implement our new Online Customer Authentication feature. Here
are a couple variations to watch out for:
- You may receive an email saying that your account has been accessed from multiple
computers and will be shut down unless you click on a link, which then asks you
to input your account number and password. If you receive this type of email, it
is a scam; delete it without clicking on the link or responding. We already have
that information, so we won’t request it from you in an unsolicited email.
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another variation, you may receive an email telling you that you need to click on
a link to set up “challenge questions” that the bank would then use to confirm your
identity during any future suspicious log-ins. Although our Online Customer Authentication
feature does ask you to establish security questions and answers, we ask you to
do that only AFTER you’ve logged into Internet Banker and confirmed your identity.
We wouldn’t ask you to take that step through a link in an unsolicited email.
Remember, if you ever have questions about a communication you received concerning
Internet Banker, please call us at 1-800-311-3182. Thank you. |
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| Vishing |
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| Vishing is a variant of traditional phishing scams that uses telephone calls (instead
of email) to gather confidential information. Customers may receive an automated
phone call saying their account has been compromised and giving them a phone number
to call to resolve the issue. When they call, they reach an automated answering
program that asks them for their account number (or credit card number) to verify
their account. Customers should not give confidential information in response to
suspicious requests like this. Incidents of “vishing” fraud have become more common
with the increasing popularity of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), which allows
telephone calls to be made from computers instead of from traditional phones. |
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| Merger Phishing |
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| Susquehanna customers should be aware of the potential for this variation of
phishing. In this scam, customers receive an email that says it’s from a company
that is acquiring their bank and asks for account numbers and other data as part
of the merger. Consumers may be susceptible to this scam if it mentions
a merger that is actually occurring. The Bank already has this type of information,
and another bank doing an acquisition would not need to ask individual customers
for that data. |
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| Survey Phishing |
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| These phishers send out a survey, claiming that they represent a bank or another
company. The survey may start out with harmless questions to get you
comfortable with responding, but then they ask for confidential information. Often,
people are told they will receive a gift certificate or other reward for participating.
This technique has been used over the phone in the past, but is now being used online
as well. |
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| Pharming |
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Unlike phishing, scammers using a technique called “pharming” don’t
lure their victims with emails. Instead, they install malicious software or use
other techniques to re-direct a user to a fraudulent website – even if the user
types the correct address into their browser or uses an existing bookmark for their
bank’s website. So how can users protect themselves? If you’re going to enter confidential
information on a website, first check to be sure the site has a valid certificate
from a service such as VeriSign®. Click on the padlock icon in the browser’s status
bar to see the certificate, and check to be sure the name on the certificate matches
the website.
As always, customers should run anti-virus and anti-spyware software and update
their computers with the latest security patches and a firewall. If you notice something
suspiciously different about the way your internet banking site is functioning,
call the bank to verify that you are using the correct site. |
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| Key Logging |
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A new scam gaining popularity among criminals involves “key logging.” Key logging
software records everything that is typed on your computer, including password information,
and sends the information to an outside party. The unwanted software, sometimes
referred to as “spyware,” “adware” or “key logging software,” usually infects a
computer in the form of a virus attached to an e-mail or other type of download.
Many times, these downloads are bundled with free program offers. If you click to
install a free program and click “Agree” to the End User License Agreement without
reading it fully, you may be unknowingly granting permission to download spyware
along with the free program.
Some signs that your PC may be infected by unwanted software include:
- A slowing of your computer, both offline and online
- An unexpected increase
in unsolicited e-mail or messages sent without your knowledge
- Strange browser
behavior, such as increased pop-ups or unexplained changes to your home page settings
and Web site favorites.
To lessen your risk of key logging, avoid downloading software from sources that
you do not know and trust. Also, make sure you have up-to-date antivirus protection
installed on your PC. Antivirus software provides protection against viruses that
compromise your computer’s security. Once installed, make sure you keep your antivirus
software updated. |
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| Tips to Protect Your Personal Information Online |
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Internet Banking with Susquehanna is safe, secure, and convenient. Whether you are
banking online or not, you should always take the necessary steps to prevent your
financial information from falling into the wrong hands. By staying knowledgeable
about possible Internet and e-mail scams, you will be better prepared to protect
yourself.
Below are some tips to remember to make doing business online a safer and more enjoyable
experience, whether it is banking with Susquehanna or any other consumer online
account you may have.
- Keep all of your passwords private. Passwords can only serve their purpose if they
remain confidential.
- Refrain from disclosing your personal information through
unsolicited e-mails and telephone calls. Beware of e-mails that may warn of dire
consequences unless you validate your information immediately. Contact the sending
company to confirm the e-mail’s validity using a phone number or Web address you
know to be genuine.
- Always use the logout button to discontinue your Internet
Banker session and then close your browser.
- Immediately leave any site that
appears suspicious or seems to not perform the function that it claims to provide.
Carefully check the spelling of a Web address so as not to be fooled by a fraudulent
site that is identical to the legitimate site. Often fraudulent site URLs can differ
from legitimate site URLs by only one stroke or character.
- Be careful about
what you install or download to your system. Avoid downloading software from sources
that you do not know and trust. Read the complete End User License Agreement before
clicking “Agree” when downloading any software.
- Be suspicious of any information-collecting
Web page that does not have a home page or has a home page with an “under construction”
message on it.
- When using an online site for banking or other consumer activities,
carefully read the site’s privacy and security statements. Always look for the padlock
icon on your Internet browser.
- Maintain up-to-date virus protection and use a personal firewall on your PC. If
you use MS Windows, install up-to-date service packs.
- Review your online credit
card and bank accounts to make sure there are no unauthorized charges. Also, review
all account statements that are mailed to your home as soon as they arrive. Store
and/or discard paper records carefully, and shred or destroy them when they’re
no longer needed.
- If you notice any unauthorized activity on your accounts, please
contact us
immediately so we can take steps to protect your bank accounts.
- If you
believe you have responded to a fraudulent email or website, please send a copy
of the email and/or a link to the suspicious site to
reportfraud@susquehanna.net .
- For more information on Internet/e-mail scams
and identity theft issues, visit the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation,
Federal Trade Commission, the National
Consumers League, or the OCC
Consumer Protection News.
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| Consumer Fraud Scams |
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Below is a list of fraudulent offers that consumers routinely receive. Be on the
lookout for scams like these or similar ones. Instead of responding, notify your
local police department or financial institution.
For more on Consumer Fraud Scams, visit www.fakechecks.org.
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| Lottery Scam |
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| You receive a letter and a check, often a large amount, stating that you have won
a lottery, usually one in a country other than the United States. You are told to
deposit the check and wire a portion of it back to cover fees and/or taxes. If you
follow the instructions, the check will turn out to be counterfeit, but by the time
it’s returned, the criminal will already have the money you wired from your account.
You will have to pay back the full amount of the bogus check. It is against laws
in the United States to participate in a lottery in another country, so a letter
saying you have won a foreign lottery is a scam. |
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| Internet Purchase Scam |
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| You offer to sell something on the Internet, and the buyer sends you a check for
more than the purchase price you agreed on. The buyer asks you to wire back the
amount over the agreed-upon selling price. The buyer’s payment will turn out to
be counterfeit, but by the time it’s returned, he already has the money you wired
from your account. You are responsible to pay back the full amount of the bogus
check. When selling or buying on the Internet, only send or accept checks for the
exact amount. Ask for cashier checks when possible. |
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| Tips to Remember |
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When you deposit or cash a check at a bank, you’re essentially acknowledging that
you believe it is genuine and the person who wrote it will pay. If it bounces, you’re
responsible to repay the full amount. There’s no legitimate reason that someone
– especially a stranger – would send you a check and ask you to wire a portion back.
Remember two basic questions you should ask yourself if you receive communications
like these:
- Is this offer too good to be true? (Then it’s probably not true.)
- Does this
make common sense? (For example, why would someone send a stranger thousands of
dollars and ask them to wire it back?)
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| If you would like to learn more about how to protect yourself from potential
identify theft, you can view the video
Don’t Be An Online Victim, produced by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. |
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| Resources to Combat
Identity Theft |
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| Below are links to identity theft information pages established by state governments:
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