Keeping Your Information Secure From Fraudulent Activity

TO PROTECT OUR ACCOUNT HOLDERS FROM FRAUD AND FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION, WE ASK THAT YOU READ THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ASK OUR STAFF ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.

We at Prairie State Bank & Trust take our customers’ privacy and security very seriously. This is why we try our best each day to stay on top of cybersecurity threats, whether they are new or changes to old threats. We have recently been made aware of phone calls “spoof” attempts in and around our communities. The criminals carrying out these attempts use caller ID spoofing and robocall technology to target banking customers with the goal of obtaining sensitive information they can use to take control of the customer’s account(s).

What is spoofing, and how does it work?

“Spoofing” occurs when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity. Spoofing is often used as part of an attempt to trick someone into giving away valuable personal information so it can be used in fraudulent activity or sold illegally. U.S. law and FCC rules prohibit most types of spoofing.

Caller ID lets consumers avoid unwanted calls by displaying caller names and phone numbers. The caller ID feature is sometimes manipulated by spoofers masquerading as representatives of banks, creditors, insurance companies, or even the government.

What can you do if you think you’re being spoofed? (fcc.gov/spoofing)

You may not be able to tell right away if an incoming call is spoofed. Be careful about responding to any request for personal identifying information. Remember these helpful hints: 

• We will not ask for personal information when we are calling you. 
• We'll never take an action (like logging into your account online for you) for the sole purpose to generate a secure access code and ask you to read that back to us to authenticate you. 
• Never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother’s maiden names, passwords, or other identifying information over the phone without verifying whom you are speaking with. This also includes multi-factor/two-factor authentication codes provided in an app, email or text.
• If you get an inquiry from someone who says they represent Prairie State Bank & Trust seeking personal information, hang up and call us at 1-800-597-2977.
• Use caution if you are being pressured for information immediately. Attackers will attempt to use your emotions to persuade you into providing information before you have stopped to consider who is requesting it.
• Don’t answer calls from unknown numbers. If you mistakenly answer one of these calls, hang up immediately.
• If you have a voice mail account with your phone service, set a password. Some voicemail services are preset to allow access if you call in from your phone number. A hacker could spoof your home phone number and gain access to your voicemail if you do not set a password.
• Talk to your phone company about call-blocking tools and check into apps you can download to your mobile device. The FCC allows phone companies to block robocalls by default based on reasonable analytics. More information about robocall blocking is available at fcc.gov/robocalls.

Prairie State Bank & Trust will not send unsolicited emails or call asking customers to provide, update or verify personal or account information, such as passwords, Social Security numbers, PINs, credit or ATM/Debit Card numbers, or other confidential information.

In any scenario, it’s best not to provide information over the phone or via text message unless you are 100% sure you know whom you are speaking with. We always encourage customers to call us back directly at 1-800-597-2977.