There are some “habits” you can adopt to protect yourself & your accounts from scammers.

Use strong, unique passwords for your accounts. Use a difficult password that includes a mix of characters and numbers.

Turn on two factor authentication, when possible. This is an identity and access management security method that requires two forms of identification to access resources and data.

Alert us to travel plans. If you will be traveling out of state, call us in advance with your travel plans & dates.

Block unwanted calls and text messages. Take steps to block unwanted calls and to filter unwanted text messages.

Don’t give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect. Honest organizations won’t call, email, or text to ask for your personal information, like your Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers. If you get an email or text message from a company you do business with and you think it’s real, it’s still best not to click on any links. Instead, contact them using a website you know is trustworthy. Or look up their phone number. Don’t call a number they gave you or the number from your caller ID.

Resist the pressure to act immediately. If you receive a call from a “business,” an honest businesses will give you time to make a decision. Anyone who pressures you to pay or give them your personal information is a scammer.

Think before you pay. Never pay someone who insists you pay with cryptocurrency, a wire transfer service like Western Union or MoneyGram, or a gift card. And never deposit a check and send money back to someone.

Stop and talk to someone you trust. If you have any concerns, tell someone — a friend, a family member, a neighbor — what happened. Talking about it could help you realize it’s a scam. Or, of course, you can always call us at 800-245-6199.