At Bank of Cordell our number one priority is you, our customer.  Everyone is at risk of becoming a victim of identity theft, financial scams, counterfeit currency, and old fashion thievery through stolen checks, forgeries, and many more illegal activities.  Criminals obtain your information for fraudulent use from everyday transactions such as writing checks, renting a car, using a credit or debit card for payment. 

Ways thieves may obtain your personal information:

• Steal your wallet or purse.
• Steal your mail.
• Complete a change of address form to divert your mail to another location.
• Rummage through your trash or public trash cans.
• Collect your information through e-mail or phone by pretending to be from a legitimate company.      

Here are a few simple rules to follow to help you protect yourself. 

Review and balance your bank statement as soon as you receive it.  Look for unexplained charges or withdrawals.  Promptly notify us of any discrepancies.  You can also check your account activity between statements using Internet Banking. The few minutes you spend reviewing your statement could save you thousands.

Think of an ATM/Debit Card as the key to your bank account. Do not give it to other persons to use.  Never write the PIN on the back of the card.

Shred any documents containing identifying information before throwing them away, this includes pre-approved credit offers, charge receipts, checks and bank statements, even on closed accounts. 

NEVER give out your financial information when it is requested over the phone, by mail, or through an email.  Bank of Cordell will never email you or call you to ask for PIN’s, passwords or other confidential account information.

Do not follow links in unfamiliar email.  These links can take you to fake Web sites. 

When you write a check, fill out the payee line and the amount line completely.  If you leave space, you create an opportunity for someone who gets possession of your check to add an alternative payee or to increase the amount.  Guard against such alterations by eliminating the space necessary to make them.

NEVER sign a check until you are ready to deliver or mail it and NEVER endorse a check until you are ready to cash or deposit it. 

Financial Scams.  Beware of financial scams such as “Work from Home” scams (usually found on the internet.) and “Sweepstakes” scams received through the mail.  Please remember; if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

Update your virus protection software on your PC regularly.  DO NOT open files from strangers or companies you do not know.

Use a “wipe” utility program to overwrite the entire hard drive before disposing of a computer.