Wood & Huston Offers Steps to Avoid Breaches with Credit Card Data Security
Marshall, MO (PRWEB) January 21, 2014 -- Savvy discounter, Target recently announced that cyber thieves compromised the debit/credit card data and/or personal information of as many as 110 million customers through their store point of sale, or POS, systems. The stolen data includes phone numbers, email and home addresses, debit and credit card numbers, PINs and expiration dates.
On the heels of this news, Neiman Marcus recently disclosed a similar breach and cyber security experts see a high probability for more attacks on the retail industry in the future.
“Victims of debit and credit card data breaches are a serious concern for Wood & Huston particularly due to problems that it presents to our customers.” says Barry Randolph, President of Wood & Huston Bank. “We value our customers and the relationships that we have with them. Their harm and inconvenience represents serious concern for us, and we want to do everything in our power to minimize these occurrences of debit and credit card fraud and data breaches.”
Mr. Randolph goes on to say: “Unfortunately, victims of the Target data breach are vulnerable to phishing attacks right now. We want our customers to know that we will never ask for personal information regarding their account number(s) in an email. We strongly encourage our customers not to respond to emails that warn of dire consequences. Look for the padlock to be displayed as it also displays https:// in the address bar noting the site is more secure when submitting sensitive information over the Internet. We encourage customers to check their bank accounts regularly reviewing for any fraudulent activity. If any is noted, customers should immediately contact us or other financial institutions where they have noted such activity. Victims can file complaints with the federal government’s Internet Crime Complaint Center: http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx.
Phishing attacks use spoofed e-mails and fraudulent websites designed to fool recipients into divulging personal financial data. By hijacking the trusted brands of banks, online retailers and credit card companies, phishers are able to convince recipients to respond to them. These criminals are capable of sending very legitimate looking e-mails.
To avoid becoming the victim of a phishing scam, Wood & Huston Bank offers the following tips:
- If you have responded to an email, contact your bank immediately so they can protect your account and your identity.
- Never give out your personal or financial information in response to an unsolicited phone call, fax or email, no matter how official it may seem.
- Do not respond to email that may warn of dire consequences unless you validate your information immediately. Contact the company to confirm the email's validity using a telephone number or Web address you know to be genuine.
- Check your credit card and bank account statements regularly and look for unauthorized transactions, even small ones. Some thieves hope small transactions will go unnoticed. Report discrepancies immediately.
- When submitting financial information online, look for the padlock or key icon at the bottom of your Internet browser. Most secure Internet addresses, though not all use "https".
- Report suspicious activity to the Federal Government’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx), a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center.
For information on protecting yourself online, visit ABA's consumer section on phishing at http://www.aba.com/Consumers/Pages/Phishing.aspx.
About Wood & Huston Bank
Established in 1874, Wood & Huston is an independent, full-service community bank that in 2014 celebrates 140 years of providing a wide range of quality financial products and solutions to the communities that they serve in Missouri—with branches and/or service locations in Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Marshall, Slater, Springfield and West Plains. Wood & Huston provides the convenience of online banking, mobile banking, mobile deposit and high interest checking, along with competitive rate loans for its customers. It’s Wood & Huston’s history and mission that distinguishes it from so many banking institutions. Personal service has been a legacy passed on from generation to generation for Wood & Huston Bank. The Bank operates with a philosophy that its reputation must be recreated every single day to meet each new challenge. To learn more about Wood & Huston, explore its website at http://www.woodhuston.com, drop by one of the convenient locations, or call (660) 886-6825.
Maurice Parisien, Digital Intersection, Inc., http://www.digitalintersection.com, 800-221-0855 Ext: 3, [email protected]
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