Combating fraud and helping you to protect yourself against the financial scams and crimes committed today is of great importance to us.  That’s why we want you to be aware of the latest fraud and scams that could affect you and your accounts.  We invite you to take a few moments and browse this portion of our website.  You’ll learn some of the precautions you can take to keep your finances secure.

E-Mail Safety

Criminals often use email to try and trick people into divulging their private account information.

Important: First Federal will never ask you to reply to an email with personal information. If you receive such an email, please contact First Federal Bank immediately. Report your suspicious email to Susan Humphrey at 1-859-253-2605, ext. 226, or shumphrey@firstfederalbankky.com.

Follow these steps to avoid email fraud.

1)      Never send information, such as credit card, bank account or Social Security numbers by email.  It is not secure.

2)      Only open email messages sent by people you know and companies you trust.

3)      Do not open email attachments unless you are certain you can trust the source, because a virus could be included.

4)      Be alert for email scams.  If you receive an email you think could be a scam, delete it immediately, then contact the FTC at www.ftc.gov or call toll free at 1-877-382-4357.

Identity Theft

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information such as your name, Social Security number, credit card number or other identifying information, without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes.

Identity theft is a serious crime.  People whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years – and their hard-earned money – cleaning up the mess thieves have made of their good name and credit record.  In the meantime, victims may lose job opportunities, be refused loans, education, housing or cars, or even get arrested for crimes they didn’t commit.

Steps to take to make yourself less vulnerable to identity theft.

1)       Protect your debit and credit cards.

             -Sign all new cards immediately.

             -Store your cards in a safe place where you will know right away if one is

               missing.

             -Report lost or stolen cards immediately. To report a lost or stolen First
              Federal Bank ATM/Debit card, call:

During business hours call:	1-859-253-2605 or 1-800-959- 8867
After hours, call:	1-877-849-5533

             -Don’t ever leave your card as a “security deposit”.  Use your driver’s
              license or other ID if necessary.

             -Never let anyone borrow your card.

             -Watch your mail closely if you are expecting a new or replacement card.

             -Never carry your PIN with you or write it on the back of your card.

             -Don’t use any obvious number, such as your date of birth or phone number
              for your PIN.

             -Always notify your bank and other credit issuers with change of address or
               phone number.

       -Close all inactive accounts.

2)       Safeguard your credit.

-Keep a list of account numbers in a safe place along with contact numbers and addresses.

            -Review your credit reports regularly.  This is the best way to find out if
             you’ve been a victim of identity theft.  You can obtain a copy of your credit
             report from one of the following credit bureaus:

·        Equifax  -  1-800-685-1111

·        Experian  -  1-888-397-3742

·        TransUnion  - 1-800-888-4213

3)       Keep your personal information personal.

-Don’t leave receipts at ATMs, bank computers, supermarkets or gasoline pumps.

-Never let anyone put your bank or credit card account numbers on a check or any other document not associated with a purchase on your account.

-Tear up or shred all receipts and mail you no longer need before throwing them out.

-Don’t throw any personal information in a public trash container.

4)      Secure your computer.

-Don’t download files sent by strangers.  Opening a file could expose your system to a computer virus that could access your personal information.

-Use a secure browser – software that encrypts or scrambles information you send over the Internet – to guard the security of your online transactions.

            -Delete all personal information before you dispose of a computer.

            -Look for website privacy policies. They answer questions about
             maintaining accuracy, access, security, and control of personal information
             collected by the site.

5)      Protect your mailbox.

-Remove mail as soon after delivery as possible.

-Deposit outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at your local post office.

6)      Protect yourself on the phone.

-Never give your account number, Social Security number or any other identifying information when receiving an unsolicited phone call.

7)      Guard your wallet.

      -Keep items with personal information in a safe place at home.

      -Don’t carry your Social Security card with you or write your number down on 

        anything you carry.

Steps to take if you think your identity has been stolen.

1)      Contact the fraud departments of any one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit file.  The fraud alert requests creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts.  As soon as the credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the other two credit bureaus will automatically be notified to place fraud alerts, and all three credit reports will be sent to your free of charge.

2)      Close the accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.

3)      File a police report.  Get a copy of the report to submit to your creditors and others that may require proof of the crime.

4)      File your complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.  The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations.  You can contact the FTC at www.consumer.gov/idtheft or call toll-free 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338).

Phishing Scam

Phishing is one of the latest cons used by high-tech criminals to facilitate one of America’s leading forms of fraud - identity theft.  Basically, the scam uses spam (unsolicited e-mail) to bait consumers into disclosing sensitive personal information-such as social security numbers, credit card numbers, personal identification numbers, passwords, and other private data.

These unsolicited e-mails give the appearance of being from legitimate businesses.  In fact, fraudsters usually pick a business that the potential victim actually does business with.  The fraudsters tell the e-mail recipients they need to “update” or “validate” their billing information to keep their accounts active.  To help set the hook, they even direct their potential victims to a web site that imitates the look of the legitimate web site – with logos, colors, and designs to match.  The consumers then submit their information to the impostor, who then uses the personal data to commit identity theft.

Steps to avoid the Phishing Scam.

1)      If you get an e-mail that warns you-with little or no notice- that an account of yours will be shut down or interest suspended unless you reconfirm your billing information, do not reply or click on the link in the e-mail.  Instead, contact the legitimate company cited in the e-mail using a telephone number or web address you know to be genuine.

2)      Look for the “lock” icon on the browser’s status bar before submitting financial information through any website.  It signals that your information is secure during transmission.

3)      Review credit card and account statements as soon as your receive them to determine whether there are unauthorized charges.

4)      Avoid e-mailing personal and /or financial information.

5)      Report suspicious activity to the FTC at www.ftc.gov or call toll free at 1-877-382-4357.

6)      Visit www.ftc.gov/spam for other ways to prevent e-mail scams and to learn how to deal with deceptive spam.

As your financial institution, we want to help you combat fraud.  One of the best ways to fight it is to educate yourself and be aware of a possible scam before it happens to you.  Be cautious when providing information, and learn the steps you can take to help protect your sensitive, personal information in an attempt to stay ahead of these criminals.