CONSUMER FINANCIAL SAFETY AND PROTECTION INFORMATION

Currency Transaction Reports - An educational pamphlet issued by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) recently issued to inform customers about currency transaction reporting (CTR) requirements. The pamphlet, Notice to Customers: A CTR Reference Guide, uses plain language to explain CTR reporting requirements and a financial institution’s obligations under the Bank Secrecy Act. It explains that breaking up currency transactions into smaller amounts or “structuring” to avoid the filing of a CTR may result in fines and/or imprisonment.

IDTheft.Gov - A new US governement web site resource for information about identity theft.

www.onguardonline.gov - The Federal Trade Commission's "OnGuard Online" web site provides tips, articles, and videos about cybercrime. Other features include quizzes on identity theft, spam, and scams such as phishing. The site also tells consumers how to monitor their credit histories, use effective passwords, and recover from identity theft.

Note - You will leave Pacific Trust Bank's web site by clicking on one of the above links.

Examples of Fraudulent Emails and Scams - See example of some of the current and most recent scams and ID theft attempts going around.

Check Scams - You get a check from someone you don't know, and they want some money sent back or maybe just some personal identifying information to confirm you're the winner. It is for real, or just a scam?

Telephone Scams - Crooks try to get your personal and bank account info to steal from you.

Money Management For Teens - FDIC's special newsletter "Start Smart: Money Management for Teens": How to save, spend and protect your cash.

Financial Elder Abuse - Information about how to protect yourself and/or your loved-ones from financial exploitation by unscrupulous individuals and scam artists.

Check 21 - Information about the Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act, and your rights regarding substitute checks.

"Phishing" and other online e-mail or Internet scams:

The term is a play on the word “fishing,” and that’s exactly what Internet thieves are doing – fishing for confidential financial information, such as account numbers and passwords. With enough information, a con artist can run up bills on another person’s credit card or, in the worst case, even steal that person’s identity.

Phishing is becoming a far too frequent scam, and all consumers should know the warning signs and how to protect themselves from Phishing scams.

• Never click on the link provided in an e-mail if there is reason to believe it is fraudulent. The link may contain a virus. Do not be intimidated by e-mails that warn of dire consequences for not following their instructions.

• If there is a question about whether the e-mail is legitimate, go to the company’s site by typing in a site address that you know to be legitimate.

• If you fall victim to a phishing scam, act immediately to protect yourself by alerting your financial institution, placing fraud alerts on your credit files and monitoring your account statements closely.

Note: By clicking on either of the two below links, you will be leaving the Pacific Trust Bank web site:

• Report suspicious e-mails or calls to the Federal Trade Commission through the Internet at www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/index.html, or by calling 1-877-IDTHEFT.

• More information about Phishing can be found at http://antiphishing.org, a web site sponsored by the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) - an industry association focused on eliminating the identity theft and fraud that result from the growing problem of phishing and email spoofing.

Phishing Brochure: Avoiding Internet and E-mail Scams ("Phishing"). This brochure is designed to help our customers recognize and avoid the scam commonly known as "phishing," which involves attempts to improperly gain access to personal financial information such as account numbers and passwords using e-mail and the Internet.

• Phishing Brochure - (Low Bandwidth) - Acrobat Reader (PDF) 229 KB
• Phishing Brochure - (High Bandwidth) - Acrobat Reader (PDF) 3,346 KB

Fraud Service Center

If your Pacific Trust Bank MasterMoney® debit card has been blocked due to suspicious transactions, and you have not yet spoken to a fraud analyst in this regard, call the Fraud Service Center at:

• (800) 793-5979; or
• (651) 361-2021 (if calling from outside of the US)

Lost or Stolen Cards - Call our toll-free security number to report your MasterMoney® Card lost or stolen, 24 hours a day at (800) 754-4128. A replacement fee may apply for lost cards.