Digital Safety

Although Legacy Bank & Trust Company has security measures to protect your account information, these measures can’t always be effective without your help and cooperation. Many account hijacking attempts come as a result of hacking into individual user accounts, and from there electronically breaking into your online banking account using your information and security codes.

Digital Safety Tips

Here are a few precautions that can help you protect your personal information:

Use strong passwords: Reduce risk of weak personal security and compromised banking by using a random combination of letters and numbers. Avoid using easily guessed passwords such as birthdays or home addresses.
Use anti-virus/malware protection: Make sure the anti-virus/malware software on your computer is up-to-date and scans your email as it is received.
E-mail safety: Be wary of sending any sensitive information such as account numbers or other personal information through email. Only download from reputable sources, such as the bank’s website.
Log out: Always log out at the end of your online banking session.
Avoid phishing/social engineering scams: Fraudsters are always trying to access your personal information using various methods. Don’t respond to any unusual email requests for personal information. If you are unsure if an email is legitimate, Call us directly based on the public number for one of our branches or our main customer service number at (417) 823-9600 (don’t rely on the number in an potentially fraudulent e-mail as fraudsters may attempt to impersonate bank staff).
Account monitoring: Check your accounts regularly and let the bank know immediately if something does not seem right. Those who monitor their accounts online often detect fraud earlier than those who rely solely on paper statements.
Setup alerts: If you use our online banking, you can create activity alerts for large transactions, certain balance thresholds, or other criteria to help stay informed as to the status of your account.
Avoid free WiFi/public internet: Public WiFi and hotspots are very convenient, but not always entirely secure. Avoid performing banking transactions on a public network or hotspot. If you need to access your account, disable the WiFi and switch to your mobile network.
Free credit reports: One of your most important tools when protecting yourself against cyber-fraud is your credit report. It lists all of your credit accounts and will be the first place that unusual charges or entirely new accounts will appear. Federal law permits consumers to obtain a free report annually from each of the three major credit bureaus. To obtain your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com.
Credit freezes: You have the right to setup a freeze on your credit reports with each credit bureau provider (Experian, Equifax, Transunion). Setting up a freeze will prevent parties from accessing your credit report, which can help to reduce the risks of identify theft should a fraudster attempt to open accounts in your name.

Protecting Your Data

The best line of defense is understanding how fraudsters access your personal information:

Phishing/Social Engineering: Criminals will attempt to steal your personal information by sending fraudulent emails or texts to your smartphone or even by fraudulent phone calls impersonating the Bank or another trusted party. Messages are often very convincing and lure you to an unsafe website that asks you to provide or verify personal information and financial details such as account numbers and social security numbers. Remember: Legacy Bank & Trust Company will never send emails or texts asking for your personal information!
Card Skimming: Criminals try to gain your personal information by tampering with ATM or Point-of-sale (card reader) machines by setting up a device that can capture magnetic stripe and keypad information, such as your PIN and account number. Only use ATMs or POS systems you know and trust and examine the machine closely for signs of tampering.
Spyware/Malware: Criminals use software that a victim unknowingly installs on a personal computer by opening an email or clicking a suspicious link. Once installed on your computer, spyware collects your personal information. Using up-to-date anti-virus software and avoiding clicking on links or visiting websites that are unsafe are the best ways to defend yourself.

Additional resources you can use to safeguard your personal information are available online:

Password Security

Password security has become an important question as more and more of us use online accounts and mobile accounts to access financial information. There are some simple things each of us can do to help protect ourselves online with one of the biggest being the use of “strong” passwords. The keys to a password’s strength are length and a password that is easily remembered by you, but not easily guessed by others (e.g. using a passphrase comprised of multiple words). Do not share your login information with any other individual and avoid using the automatic login features that save your username and password. Following are some other tips:

Avoid creating a password using any personal, financial or identifying information including your birthday, driver’s license number, passport number, account number or social security number.
Avoid using a dictionary word or even a word spelled backwards.
Avoid using sequences or repeated characters or adjacent letters on your keyboard such as 1234567 or qwerty.
Always use multi-factor authentication when available. This may take the form of an authentication app or token or may be available via a code received by SMS text or phone.

Identity Theft

Identity theft continues to be a concern for everyone. Identity theft occurs when someone steals your personal information in order to establish credit or borrow money in your name. Measures are in place at Legacy Bank and Trust Company to protect your identity and your accounts against fraud and theft. Some examples include verifying your identity before releasing information over the telephone, and more stringent multi-factor authentication for your online transactions. However, maximum security is only possible with your help.

Tips to Help Stop Identity Theft

Do not give out financial information unless you know the person or organization.
Report lost or stolen checks, debit cards, or credit cards immediately. Payments on them can often be blocked.
Notify the bank of suspicious telephone inquiries. This includes callers that ask for your account information to “verify” something or award a prize.
Do not respond to “phishing” emails. This includes emails that request any financial information or request your social security number.
Guard your PIN number. Do not give out your PIN number for ATM or debit cards to other persons and do NOT write the PIN number on your card or keep it in your wallet or purse.
Monitor your accounts regularly. People that monitor their accounts regularly are more likely to notice account fraud earlier. Report any fraudulent activity to us immediately.

The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act) was passed to help reduce identity theft. One of its features allows all consumers to request a free copy of their own credit report. You may obtain your free credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com.

Identity Theft Checklist

The Federal Trade Commission has launched a website designed to help victims recover from identity theft. If you’ve had your identity stolen, you can use the interactive checklist to help you take the steps to recover. The website breaks it down into things to do right away and what you should do next. Even if you have not been a victim of identify theft, the website contains a lot of information that can be useful including how to correct your credit report if you find an error on it. There are sample letters included for use in resolving disputes involving fraud with businesses. Visit www.identitytheft.gov to learn more.

FDIC Consumer News

The FDIC publishes a newsletter quarterly with information all consumers can use and can educate you on strategies for managing and protecting your money. You can find the full newsletter on the FDIC website www.fdic.gov.

Protecting the Elderly from Financial Abuse

Financial abuse, or financial exploitation, of the elderly is a growing and often unreported crime. Financial exploitation can occur without the person’s knowledge, by trickery, intimidation or coercion, or when the person is too confused to give informed consent. The exploitation can be classified in one of two categories: exploitation by a person known to the victim (family member, caregiver, POA, etc.) or exploitation by a stranger (con artists, bogus charities, unscrupulous salesmen, etc.).

Watch for the following “red flags” that may indicate financial abuse:

Closing CD’s or accounts without regard to penalties
ATM withdrawals by a person who has never used a debit or ATM card
New powers of attorney the person does not understand
A caretaker, relative or friend who suddenly begins conducting financial business on the other person’s behalf without proper documentation

How can you protect your elderly friends/loved ones and yourself?

Never give out your social security number, account numbers, or any other personal financial information over the phone unless you initiated the call.
Don’t open emails from people you do not know.
Shred bank statements, bank receipts, credit card statements and credit cards before throwing them away and sign up for e-statements when available to reduce risks of statements stolen from your mailbox or lost in the mail.
Review your bank and credit card statements regularly and call us if you find any instances of unauthorized use.
Do business with companies you know are reputable.
Do not let a stranger talk you into sending them money, this includes strangers who say you’ve “won money” and those that say they work for a charitable organization (make sure it is for real).
Talk to your local banker if you have questions or concerns.

If you suspect financial abuse, talk to the elderly person and try to determine what is happening. Is there a new person “helping” them with their money or is someone taking advantage of them? Report the financial abuse to us and enlist our assistance. You may want to contact adult protective services for your area and, all instances of elder financial abuse should be reported to your local law enforcement.