October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month
At American Savings Bank (ASB), we’re committed to making banking easy and safe for our customers. We’ve joined American Bankers Association's #BanksNeverAskThat campaign to educate bank customers to become pros at spotting a phishing scam—and stop bank impostors in their tracks.
Click the link below to play the interactive game "Scam City." Share your score with your friends and family and encourage them to test their scam savviness, too. Plus, learn about how to practice safe checks with tips and tools to stop check fraud.
LEARN MORE
Learn how to keep yourself protected:
COMMON SCAMS
BE WARY OF COMMON SCAMS
Technological advances enable scammers to create more believable scams and reach people worldwide. Click here for instructions and tips on how to avoid scams, what to do if you are scammed, and how to report suspected scams to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Included in the sections below are a short list of the most common scams to assist you with being vigilant and aware of the latest scams and tactics. If you think you may have been scammed, or one of the situations below sound familiar to you, contact us and law enforcement immediately. Tell us about your situation and any information that might be compromised and request to block or close your accounts to help protect you from financial loss.
Common scams to be aware of:
Romance scams are one of the most common types of scams, with the FTC receiving record reports of romance scams. In 2022, reported losses were $1.3 billion (Source: FTC Website). Scammers create fake profiles on dating sites and apps, or contact individuals through social media sites like Instagram and Facebook. They start a relationship with their victims online and build trust using phone calls, email, text message, and video chat. The scammers then manipulate the victims using a story to leverage the victims’ trust and ask for money or banking information. Six common stories are listed below for reference:
- Living or working overseas and is “stuck” (oil rigger, military, doctor) without access to a US bank account
- Needs funds to come home, pay for a plane ticket or other travel expenses
- Is in the hospital, or someone close to him/her is in the hospital and needs help
- Has the money but can’t access it currently and will “pay you back” soon
- Needs to pay customs fees to retrieve something
- Needs to pay for a visa, or other official travel documents
Here is a helpful infographic on online dating scams from the Federal Trade Commission.
Money mule scams involve a scammer sending you money which you are then asked to send on to someone else, and can include additional promises that you will get to keep a portion of the money. In these cases, the money sent by the scammers is stolen or fake, their stories are fake, and you are being scammed or used as part of a scam. These types of scams can take many forms. Below are four examples:
- Receiving a letter, email, or text saying that you have won the lottery (that is - Publisher's Clearing House) and need to send money to pay taxes on it before the winnings are released to you
- Asked to be a mystery shopper or do some other kind of job, where you will be paid, but the payment you receive is for more than the amount you are owed. You are then asked to send the extra funds back to the fraudster or to someone else
- Selling an item on Craigslist or some other website, and the purchaser sends you more than the cost of the item. You are asked to send the extra funds back to the scammer, or to someone else
- Sent money and asked to purchase gift cards (Amazon, Wal-Mart, Longs, iTunes, and so on) and either send the gift cards or a picture of the card information back to the fraudster or to someone else
Here is a helpful infographic on Money Mule scams from the Federal Trade Commission.
Usually, the request will be from someone that you wouldn’t expect. You’re asked to purchase a gift card or gift cards from merchants like clothing stores, big box retail stores, and so on., to pay your utility bill, pay a debt you may owe, or to claim a prize. You’re told to share the numbers on the back of the gift cards, by reading them off or sending a picture. Scammers will then use the card to make purchases at these merchants.
In these scams, someone contacts you claiming to be an “official” and informs you of an outstanding debt. Scammers will reach out via email, phone, or text message and often say they are an official affiliated with the government in a position of power to scare you into giving them money or your banking information. Scammers may use the following personas to perpetrate this scam: Attorney, Certified Public Accountant, Federal Bureau of Investigation agent, County Police Department officer, or Internal Revenue Service agent.
IDENTITY THEFT
TIPS TO PROTECT YOUR PERSONAL IDENTITY
Account fraud or identity theft occurs when a fraudster gains access to your personal information (your bank account number or Social Security number, for example) and then uses this information to impersonate you for illegal purposes or steal and use your financial assets.
Here are some tips to protect your personal identity:
The best way to detect identity theft is to monitor your accounts and bank statements each month and check your credit report on a regular basis. If you see unusual transactions at merchants that you did not visit, or new accounts that you did not open, it is a sign that your identity was compromised. Closely monitoring your accounts, statements, and credit reports to detect suspicious activity as it happens can help you limit the damage caused by identity theft.
If you detect any unusual or possibly fraudulent transactions on any of your accounts, contact your bank or credit card company immediately. If you identify fraudulent activity on your American Savings Bank account(s), call our Customer Banking Center immediately at (808) 627-6900 or toll-free (800) 272-2566. You should also:
- File a police report. Even if the police can't catch the identity thief, having a police report can help you in clearing up any problems on your credit report(s).
- File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at www.identitytheft.gov.
You should routinely obtain and review your free annual credit reports. You can request them from one or all of the national credit reporting agencies at the phone numbers below or at AnnualCreditReport.com.
- Equifax - (800) 685-1111
- Experian - (888) 397-3742
- TransUnion - (800) 916-8800
If there are fraudulent transactions on any of these reports, have the agencies delete any information relating to those transactions, and place a fraud alert on your credit report to alert creditors that you may be the victim of fraud. If you'd like to learn more about protecting your identity, here are some additional resources:
PROTECTING INFORMATION
KEEP YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION PRIVATE
Do not share your username, passwords, or Online Banking login credentials with others, and be cautious when sharing personal information, such as your Social Security Number and Automated Teller Machine/Debit Card (Card) Personal Identification Number (PIN). ASB will never initiate an email, cell phone text message, or phone call and ask you to reveal any private information, including your account information. For best practice, memorize PIN and Online Banking login credentials. Do not write down your PIN and/or passwords. For best practice, use a password manager to store credentials and sensitive information.
How to keep your personal information private:
- Always use unique user names and passwords for each site you visit
- Shred financial documents you no longer need
- Store new and cancelled checks in a secure place
- Keep records of your financial transactions
- Do not write your account number on items that may be thrown away later
- Send mail from a post office or secured mailbox, rather than from an unsecured home mailbox
- Collect incoming mail promptly
- Shred all unwanted pre-approved offers for financial products and services, like credit cards or loans
Verify that your Online Banking session is secure by a closed, or locked, padlock, usually located in the lower right corner of your browser window, which indicates a secure connection. Tips to keep your accounts secure:
Tips to keep your accounts secure:
- Avoid easily identifiable words
- Use a combination of numbers, letters, and special characters
- Change your password every 90 days
- Change your passwords to passphrases - such as " Ilovecoffee", even better when you replace the characters with symbols or letters, " !lovec0ffee"
- Don't recycle passphrases. For best practice, use a password manager so that you only need to remember one passphrase and to keep your credentials secure
- Enable multi-factor authentication whenever possible, this will add a layer of security on your accounts because the hacker will not only need to have something you know (PIN/Password), but they will also need something you have (device/token) and/or something you are (biometric)
- Don’t pair secret questions with answers that can be found online
- Keep your devices up to date with the latest software. Developers continuously push out software updates to fix bugs and vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit
"Sign Off" when you are done using Online Banking or lock your device when walking away. Close your browser to prevent others from using your session. Click here to learn more about Online Banking Security.
- Be aware of email scams, such as phishing, and phony websites. Use a critical eye and feel free to contact us if you have a question about something that appears to be from the bank
- Learn as much as possible about anything you are downloading to your computer, including email attachments. Programs from unknown sources can compromise the security of your computer
- Hover your mouse over a link in an email/webpage before clicking, to review the URL - make sure that the link matches the sender
- Things to look out for when you receive an email, remember context is key:
- Do you know the person who emailed you?
- Are you expecting the email?
- Are you expecting to receive an attachment from this person? If so, does the link/attachment match the sender / context?
- Do not send personal and financial information over the internet via email, as the email could be intercepted
American Savings Bank utilizes industry recommended technology and security features to safeguard your Online and Mobile Banking information. Click here to learn more about Online Banking Security.
Your Online Banking is protected through:
- Biometric verification (for example, Fingerprints or facial recognition) for secure authentication into the ASB Hawaii Mobile App
- For added security, we have a 2 step authentication process that uses a one-time secure access code when a new device is used to access your account
- Secure data encryption techniques in both our app and Online Banking to help secure your account information is protected
- Account, history, transaction and security alerts to keep you informed of your account activity
For Online Banking for Business users, your financial information is protected with these additional features:
- Transaction Encryption - Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology and 128-bit encryption technology scrambles the communications between your computer and the server, generating messages unreadable to anyone outside of the secure environment who should not have access to them
- Firewall Protection - Unauthorized entry to ASB’s internal network of computer systems is shielded by our firewalls, which protects the computer network systems that interact with the Internet
- Surveillance - Our security teams use up-to-the-minute security procedures, security analyses and behavioral tracking applications to ensure information privacy and identification of suspicious transactions
Additional Online Banking for Business additional protection features:
- Multiple user/level entitlements with secure access via Company IDs and passwords
- Additional authentication with security tokens for Automated Clearing House (ACH) origination and wire transfers
- Customized access in which you determine the accounts and reports your employees can view
- "IP Lockdown" to restrict processing of stop payments, wire or ACH transfers by location or limit to registered workstations
- Add-on services such as Positive Pay* and Debit Block* available for added monitoring and security
AVOIDING FRAUD
KNOW THE BAD STUFF
In today's world, providing personal information online is a commonplace activity. However, the personal information you share could be affected by a data breach – the unauthorized release of your personally identifiable and confidential information.
Here are some ways you can protect yourself and your information:
If there are unusual transactions on your accounts, that may be a sign that your identity or account has been compromised. Monitor your accounts regularly and report any unauthorized activity to prevent loss. Opt-in to text alerts for Online and Mobile Banking, which notify you of suspicious activity on your account. You can also monitor your account by enrolling in Online Banking or by checking your monthly statements.
You can report any unauthorized activity on your ASB account by calling us at (808) 627-6900 or toll-free (800) 272-2566, or visit any branch.
Once criminals have your information, they can use it at any time. Therefore, it’s important to order your credit report and review it periodically. You are entitled to a free credit report annually and can get yours at www.annualcreditreport.com.
While a credit freeze locks down your credit, a fraud alert will allow creditors to get a copy of your credit report, but only after they take steps to verify your identity.
- Credit Freeze: Initiating a credit freeze makes it difficult for identity thieves to access your accounts and allows you to restrict access on your credit report. Be sure to consider your personal situation before placing a credit freeze.
- Fraud Alerts: If you are applying for credit or think you might need quick credit in an emergency, it might be better to simply place a fraud alert on your files with the three major credit bureaus.
Changing your bank account PIN and passwords regularly ensures older PINs and passwords are obsolete and cannot be used, even if they’re compromised in a data breach.. Be sure to use strong passwords that include uppercase and lowercase letters along with symbols and numbers. Avoid using the same passwords across multiple accounts.
“Ishing” is a social engineering term used to refer to an attack used by criminals that exploit human psychology, manipulating our behavior to disclose sensitive information, such as account details and personal information through specific actions.
Ishing attack aim to entice individuals to take action that exposes their sensitive information through falsified or fake media, such as a website or attachment disguised as a harmless file, like a ‘cute puppy video.’ In the past, hackers’ preferred method was phishing, however, ishing techniques continue to evolve and expand with technological advances.
The ishing family consists of:
- Phishing: scams via email
- Smishing: scams via text message
- Vishing: scams via phone calls
- Quishing: scams via scanning a public QR code on your device
How does the ishing scheme work and how can you avoid being a victim? Click here to watch a video on how ishing schemes work and how to avoid them.
Use the resources below to report fraud:
The FDIC offers these guides for your protection:
Cybersecurity Guide for Financial Institution Customers:
Offers tips on protecting and maintaining computer systems, mobile devices, and connections to the Internet.
Cybersecurity Guide for Businesses :
Focuses on the cybersecurity needs of commercial customers and includes information on safeguarding systems and data, and things to consider in a networked environment.
Additional Resources:
Federal Bureau of Investigations:
Accepts online Internet crime complaints from either the actual victim or from a third party to the complainant.
Federal Trade Commission:
Helps to report and recover from identity theft.
Consumer Financial Protection Buerau - Fraud and Scams:
Resources can help you prevent, recognize, and report scams and fraud.
Cyber Readiness Institute:
Focuses on the development of practical and free resources to help small and medium-sized enterprises build resilient cyber programs.
For Businesses - Cybersecurity and Fraud Seminar:
Learn from our cybersecuity and fraud experts of common methods of cyber attacks, scams, frauds and how to safeguard you and your business against them.