Security and Vigilance everywhere!

If yes, and if you want to protect yourself, change your User ID and Password via our online banking website.

It is important to use a strong password for all of your financial accounts. Don’t use your pet’s name, your child’s name, birthday or anything else that someone could easily find out. The most secure passwords combine letters (uppercase/lowercase), numbers and special characters not simply an address, phone number or birth date. For added security, remember to change your password on a regular basis and avoid using the same password for multiple accounts.

Call us right away if you think you’ve given out personal information about your Blue Grass accounts (such as your account number, password or PIN) or if you’ve given it to a website you think may not be legitimate. You should call the toll-free number on the back of your credit/debit card.

You should install anti-virus and firewall software on your computer and keep it up to date. Make sure your anti-virus software scans incoming communications and files for viruses.

Phishing is a type of criminal activity that uses fraudulent techniques to trick you into providing personal information. An attacker might send an email that appears to be from a company or person you know, such as your bank. The email asks you to reply to the email or go to a website that looks like your bank’s site and then give your user name, password, account number, personal identification number (PIN), Social Security number or other personal information.

Scammers may also contact you by text message or by phone.

If you have any doubts about whether an email, phone call or text message is actually from us, please call us directly at 859-987-2951 or the number on the back of your bank card.

Don’t reply to an email, phone call or text message that does these things:

• Requires you to give your personal or account information either directly in the email or on a website the email sends you to; some attackers, for example, use pop-up windows on Web pages to ask for your confidential information
• Threatens to close or suspend your account if you don’t take immediate action
• Invites you to answer a survey that asks you to enter personal or account information
• Tells you your account has been compromised, then asks you to give or confirm your personal or account information
• Tells you there are unauthorized charges on your account, then asks you to give your personal or account information
• Asks you to confirm, verify or update your account, credit card or billing information
• Don’t open an email attachment, even if it appears to be from a friend or co-worker, unless you’re expecting it or are absolutely sure you know what it contains.

You’re almost certainly dealing with a scam when you see an email or website that does these things:

• Asks you to provide your account information because someone wants to send you money
• Claims you have a refund coming to you
• Says you’ve won a contestEmail scams often try to create a feeling of urgency and alarm so you’ll respond before you can think carefully. These kinds of messages typically threaten to cut off a service or close your account. Or they may pretend to be helpful by offering a security update, but only after you’ve told them your personal or account information. These tactics are red flags and should alert you. Be a savvy consumer
  • Don’t give out financial information such as checking account and credit card numbers—and especially your Social Security number—on the phone unless you made the call and you know the person or organization you’re dealing with.
  • Don’t print your driver’s license, phone or Social Security number on your checks.
  • Report lost or stolen checks immediately.
  • Store new and canceled checks in a safe place.
  • Tell us right away about any suspicious phone inquiries you get, such as those asking for your account information so the caller can “award a prize.” Don’t give out any personal or account information.
  • Keep your personal identification numbers (PINs) for your ATM and credit cards safe, and don’t write your PIN on the card itself or store it in the same place you store your card. You should also guard your ATM and credit card receipts (and take care to destroy them before you throw them out). Thieves can use them to access your accounts.
  • Be careful to create secure PINs and passwords. Don’t use birth dates, parts of your Social Security or driver’s license numbers, your address or your children’s or spouse’s names. Someone trying to steal your identity could have this information.
  • If you get financial offers in the mail that you’re not interested in, tear them up or shred them. Destroy any other financial papers, such as bank statements or invoices, before getting rid of them.
  • Don’t put outgoing mail in or on your mailbox. Drop it into a US Postal Service collection box. Thieves could use your mail to steal your identity.
  • If you don’t get one or more of your regular bills in the mail, call each company to find out why. A thief could have filed a false change-of-address notice to send your mail to another address.
  • If your bills include suspicious items, such as charges you don’t recognize, don’t ignore them.

You can request a free annual credit report from each of the 3 national credit reporting agencies, whether or not you suspect any unauthorized activity on your account, by visiting www.AnnualCreditReport.com or calling 1-877-FACTACT (1-877-322-8228). Or you can request the reports by directly contacting each of the agencies below. They can also tell you about setting up fraud alerts and security freezes:

• Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
• Experian: 1-888-397-3742
• TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289

Look out for credit inquiries from unfamiliar companies, accounts you never opened and unexplained debts; all of these could be warning signs of fraud and identity theft.