Winter 2010 - First National Bank

FNB
News
FNB
First National Bank of Northern California
Mail Center
450 Cabot Road
South San Francisco, CA 94080
NEWS
FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Volume 5, Issue 2
Return Service Requested
Winter/New Year, 2010
Message from the CEO
A
Chief Financial Officer
Dave Curtis—a Guy
with a Lot on His Plate
llow me to begin my New Year’s message
to you by sharing the news that Director
Lisa Angelot has been appointed as
In a nutshell, Dave’s job is to make sure
Chairwoman of the Board, replacing
there is enough liquidity for First National
Chairman Michael R. Wyman, who retired on
Bank of
December 31, 2009. In
Northern
addition, Dr. Thomas G.
From all of us at First National
California to
Atwood has been appointed
remain solvent.
to fill the vacant Board seat
Bank of Northern California
This includes
created by Mr. Wyman’s
we wish you and your family a
managing the
retirement.
very Happy New Year!
bank’s financial
2009 was certainly the most challenging year we have ever
reporting, tax
faced. No doubt many of you have been impacted by the
planning, budgeting, investment
recession we have muddled through. One of the challenges we’ve faced has been
portfolios, and Office of the Comptroller
educating people that all “Banks” are not the same. The investment banks, the
of Currency (OCC) regulatory
mortgage banks and the large multinational banks who were actively involved in the
Chief Financial Officer . . . . . . . . . .Continued on Page 2
sub prime mortgage disaster, are completely different from community banks.
Our Vision: To dedicate ourselves to developing relationships with our customers to fully meet their needs for quality banking products and services.
Branch Locations & Hours
Colma*
1300 El Camino Real
Colma, CA 94014
millbrae/san bruno
1551 El Camino Real
Millbrae, CA 94030
redwood city*
700 El Camino Real
Redwood City, CA 94063
South San Francisco*
211 Airport Blvd.
South San Francisco, CA 94080
650 997.3100
650 871.4400
650 299.0700
650 873.0211
Daly City
6600 Mission Street
Daly City, CA 94014
PACIFICA
210 Eureka Square
Pacifica, CA 94044
SAN FRANCISCO*****
699 Portola Drive
San Francisco, CA 94127
South San Francisco
975 El Camino Real
South San Francisco, CA 94080
650 992.8800
650 359.5500
415 661.4800
650 583.8450
El Granada
Princeton Harbor
El Granada, CA
–ATM Only–
PACIFICA
1450 Linda Mar Shopping Center
Pacifica, CA 94044
SAN FRANCISCO***
65 Post Street
San Francisco, CA 94014
650 359.5811
415 781.0600
HALF MOON BAY
756 Main Street
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
Pescadero**
239 Stage Road
Pescadero, CA 94060
san mateo
150 E. Third Avenue
San Mateo, CA 94401
650 726.6373
650 879.0785
650 340.1033
Open Monday - Thursday: 9 am - 5 pm, Friday: 9 am - 6 pm, Saturday: 9 am - 1 pm
Exceptions: *Monday - Friday: 9 am - 6 pm **Monday - Thursday: 9 am - 4 pm, Friday: 9 am - 6 pm
***Monday - Friday: 9 am - 5 pm ****Monday - Friday: 9 am - 5 pm, Saturday: 9 am - 1 pm
*****Monday - Thursday: 9 am - 5 pm, Friday: 9 am - 6 pm
Our business is very straightforward; take local deposits and lend those dollars to
creditworthy borrowers. Some of our borrowers have struggled as a result of
current economic conditions. Unlike the large banks, at the first sign of
weakness, we don’t show them the door, we attempt to do all we can to help
them succeed and protect the interests of the bank as well. We continue to
make loans and as we have mentioned before, your deposits are insured up to
$250,000 dollars through 2013. Well capitalized banks have a minimum capital
ratio of 10%, we have almost 14%, and we have access to over $125 million in
liquidity. While we cannot single-handedly turn this economy around, it is the
Main Street banks that are making a difference. Sadly, some banks are failing,
but their risk profile was much too liberal. For 46 years we have followed the
conservative and prudent lending standards that were established by our
founders and while today we are bigger and our products and services have
grown, we will never lose sight of our founder’s guiding principles.
If you have any questions I can be reached at 650-875-4865 or
[email protected].
Sincerely,
www.fnbnorcal.com
member
EQUAL HOUSING
LENDER
FDIC
Tom McGraw, CEO
Chief Financial Officer Dave Curtis—a
Guy with a Lot on His Plate
Elder Financial Abuse
Bank Workers Foil Elaborate Scam
Our Newest Board Member—Ron Barels
Your Branch Manager and Personal
Banker Make a Great Team!
Danna Grochol Retires from FNBNC
Beware: Online Banking Fraud
From Page 1. . . . . . . . .Chief Financial Officer Dave Curtis
compliance. Your money is in very good
hands with Dave who has been in banking
since 1982 and the CFO at FNBNC
since 2006.
What Keeps You Up at Night?
Some of the things on Dave’s plate are
questions from customers
and shareholders—
concerns about the state of
the bank during this post
meltdown recovery phase.
as funding loans and supporting deposit
withdrawals, is a healthy $135 million. It’s
important to note that many banks failed,
not because they were undercapitalized,
but because they didn’t have sufficient
liquidity.
This leads to another frequent question:
“Why did you guys take $12 million in
TARP money last
February?”
Dave explains
the fundamental
reason behind
FNB taking
“A customer will call up
money from the
and say, ‘We’ve heard that
U.S. Department
capital is important. Tell us
of the Treasury’s
why you guys are deemed
Troubled Asset
worthy in the capital
Relief Program
arena,” Dave explains.
(TARP) is a
“They’ve either heard
cautious approach
something from someone,
to banking. In this
read something in the
marketplace there
newspaper, or seen a
is no such thing as
press release.”
too much capital.
This is an important
Chief Financial Officer Dave Curtis,
And, at the
question because the
time the TARP
lifeblood of a bank depends on two
money was available, no one knew when
fundamentals: capital and liquidity.
the recession would bottom out.
Capital is the buffer of cash and safe
Consequently, the bank looked on
assets that covers creditors if the bank is
the $12 million as insurance against a
liquidated. While the minimum, total,
deteriorating economy. We wanted
risk-based capital requirement formally
to be part of the solution, not part of
established by the government for a bank
the problem.
to be well capitalized is 10%, FNB has
Another question that shows up on Dave’s
nearly 14% total, risk-based capital to
plate: “Depositors want to know when
total risk-based assets.
interest rates are going back up, especially
Our liquidity, or cash on hand and
if they are living on their deposit interest
available to meet the day-to-day
income,” he says. “The answer is—when
financial obligations of the bank, such
the government stops artificially keeping
short-term interest rates close to zero.
And how long can they do this? That
answer—who knows?”
Shareholders ask when the bank is
going to increase its cash dividend.
“Recently, we had to decrease our cash
dividend to conserve capital and take a
more conservative balance sheet
posture. At the time we cut the
dividend, we had the option to cut it
altogether. And, we didn’t feel it was
right to do that because there are folks
who rely on that dividend. On the plus
side, we’re still paying better than two
percent, which is as good as any bank
out there,” explains Dave.
Playing it Safe Since 1963
Since it was founded almost 50 years
ago, FNB has followed the classic
community bank model: take in
local dollars and lend them to
creditworthy borrowers. These dollars
are then recycled in the community,
creating a better quality of life and a
healthier economy. Because of our
conservative lending policies, we have
never taken on risky loans or gambled
on highly leveraged financial products.
This model has helped us to remain
solid and secure in shaky times, and
to continue doing what’s best, in the
long term, for our customers and
shareholders.
Certainly there are challenges ahead,
but we have the capital and liquidity,
along with senior management expertise
from people like CFO Dave Curtis, to
meet and overcome them.n
Elder Financial
Abuse
Bank Workers Foil Elaborate Scam
An 86-year old Half Moon Bay woman received an emergency call from her
grandson last week: he was in a drunken car accident in British Columbia,
and now he was ashamed to say he needed help.
The grandson then passed the phone to his attorney who verified, the story,
saying the Canadian judge was being generous­–­if he paid off all the
accident damages, then he wouldn’t have to face prison. But that meant
they needed $10,000 immediately, and possibly more. “Grandma, can you
please help me?”, her grandson asked.
I
t all started with an emergency
phone call to one of FNB’s Half
Moon Bay clients from her
grandson in British Columbia. He’d
been driving drunk, got in an
accident, and needed some money—
$10,000 to be exact. The Canadian
judge said this amount would cover
damages, and if it was paid
immediately, the grandson would not
have to face time in the slammer.
The grandson’s lawyer confirmed
this story during the phone call,
reiterating the judge’s leniency, and
adding that there might be additional
legal expenses.
Desperate to help, the 86-year-old
woman went to withdraw the cash
from her account at the First National
Bank in Half Moon Bay. The teller
came to branch manager Sara
Watson for approval. “Her
grandson had asked her not to tell
anyone because he was embarrassed,”
Sara explained. “I’ve known the
Elder Financial Abuse. . . . . . . .Continued on Page 4
Desperate, the grandmother told employees at the First National Bank on
Half Moon Bay’s Main Street that she urgently needed to wire money to
help her grandchild. But bank employees thought the whole story sounded
awfully suspicious, and they cautioned the woman to think twice.
“Her grandson asked her not to tell anyone...he said he was embarrassed,”
said branch Vice President Sara Watson. “I knew this customer, and I
started asking her questions. I told her this just didn’t feel right.
Police credit the vigilance of bank employees for preventing a team of scam
artists from hoodwinking the Coastside senior citizen. The scammers
somehow had attained the woman’s family information and phone number,
and they were using those tidbits of knowledge to manipulate her.
Watson said the elderly woman had to be gradually convinced that she
might have fallen victim to a scam. The woman was persuaded to call up
her grandson and ask him again about his accident. When she called him
up, her grandson said he didn’t know what she was talking about, he was
never in any accident. That settled the confusion, Watson said.
“Seniors are often victims in these cases because they’re so trusting,”
Watson said. “This is the first time I’ve seen someone saying they were
a relative.”
-Mark Noack
Published on Wednesday, August 12, 2009
All Materials Copyright © 2009 Half Moon Bay Review
The Swindles
The following are some of the common elder financial abuse
swindles:
• The fake accident ploy, as shown above, usually involves a plea
for money because a child or grandchild has legal or medical
problems.
• Someone gains access to the senior’s Social Security checks,
pension payments, checking or savings account, or ATM or
credit card.
“Unfortunately, most
elder financial abuse
is done by people the
seniors know, people
you wouldn’t expect—
like family members
and friends.”
• The senior is manipulated into signing over investments, real
estate, or other assets.
information, and were using this to
manipulate her into wiring them a large
sum of money. Thanks to alert FNB
bank employees, the scam failed.
• A family member uses power of attorney or fiduciary authority to
fraudulently alter a senior’s will or dispose of assets/income.
Elder Financial Abuse
(EFA) Training
The Signs
Here are some of the elder financial abuse red flags that grab the attention
of FNB tellers and branch managers:
• The senior initiates out-of-the-ordinary bank activities, such as
withdrawing large sums of cash (seen in the above example).
• A caregiver or companion is in control and tells the senior to
withdraw money.
• There are changes to property, will, and other documents, and the
senior is confused about the consequences.
From Page 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Elder Financial Abuse
customer for awhile, and the story just
didn’t feel right. I asked her if she was sure
it was her grandson. She said it didn’t
really sound like him, but he claimed he
had a bad cold.”
Sara Watson then phoned the real
grandson to verify the story. He was
shocked—there had been no accident.
“That’s when we discovered it was a scam,
and called the police,” she said. Somehow,
the scammers got the woman’s phone
number along with her family
All bank employees with customer
contact are required by law to go
through elder financial abuse training.
“At First National we take this very
seriously as we partake in an extremely
rigorous course. Unfortunately, most
elder financial abuse is done by people
the seniors know, people you wouldn’t
expect—like family members and
friends. I truly believe it’s because the
seniors are so trusting,” explains Sara.
FNB’s eagle-eye tellers and branch
managers have got your back when it
comes to elder financial abuse. The
goal is to make sure you and your
money are safe from scammers focused
on senior citizens.n
We have begun the New Year
with a new Website!
You are cordially invited to
visit us at
www.fnbnorcal.com
to view and learn more about
First National Bank of
Northern California.
As always, we welcome your
comments & suggestions.
Contact us at 650-588-6800
or submit your message
thorough our
“Contact Us,” located
on the website.
Happy New Year &
Enjoy our new website!
Our Newest Board
Member—Ron Barels
First National Bank of Northern California
welcomes Ron Barels, D.D.S., to the Board of
Directors. Ron’s business experience includes
running a busy dental practice and managing
Colma’s Cypress Golf Course. He has also
served as a Director of the Daly City-Colma
Chamber of Commerce and Director of the
San Mateo County Community Colleges
Foundation.
How did Ron end up on the board, you might
ask? “I’ve run Cypress Golf Course for the
last ten years, and we’ve been a customer of
the Colma branch during that period,” Ron
explains. “In addition, I’m a partner and
director of Cypress Abbey Company, along
with Tom Atwood, former First National
Bank board member. Cypress Abbey owns
the golf course, and has been active with
the bank forever. There was an opening on
the board and Tom recommended me.”
Ron is impressed with the personal
attention that the bank has given him as
a customer. He contrasts this with his
experience at a big bank in his Colma
neighborhood, where there was always a long line and he felt like a number.
Going from cavities to fairways and sand traps—the transition didn’t happen
overnight. “Dentistry is a physically demanding profession. You’re on your feet all
day, and, after 20 years, I decided to do something else,” Ron said. “The opportunity
to run a golf course came up—I thought that would be a good second career. It’s
been fun.”
Being a board member has given Ron a different perspective on the bank—a chance
to see it from the other side of the table, and experience the tough decisions necessary
to keep the bank running smoothly.
“I’ve enjoyed the short time I’ve been on the board, and I’m looking forward to
future years of growing with the bank,” he said. Ron’s appointment was effective
June 26, 2009. n
Your Branch Manager
and Personal Banker
Make a Great Team!
When was the last time
you checked in with your
Branch Manager or
Personal Banker
regarding your banking
needs? They are always
available to assist you and
to help you realize your
financial dreams!
DALY CITY
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
Branch Manager, Dee Canepa (left)
Personal Banker, Yajaira Barba (middle) and
Elaine Villanueva (right)
Branch Manager, Matt Butler (right)
Personal Banker, Martin Gonzalez (left)
“When I bring in a new customer, they
meet Elaine and Yajaira. Then together,
we open the account and discuss what’s
best for them,” explains Dee Canepa. “It’s
a team effort. Any client has three people
they can contact on the sales side.”
Once the account is opened, Elaine and
Yajaira handle the customer service in
terms of deposit slips, endorsements,
maintenance, and follow-up. The goal
is to take care of the customer, create a
relationship—and discover any other bank
service that might be helpful. At the Daly
City branch, as with all branches, service is
the most important thing.
“We work as a partnership,” says branch
manager Matt Butler. “Marty, my
personal banker, is the first contact that
many of the new customers have with
the bank. He’s very good at what he does
and I can rely on him to provide the same
personal service that I would and it is
comforting to know that the customers are
well cared for.”
The most important thing is to put
customers in products that will
really benefit them. “We don’t sell, just to
sell,” says Matt. “A lot of customers refer
business to us because of the way they’re
treated. There is a big difference between
a community bank like First National
and a large regional bank—where there’s
a couple hundred thousand employees, in
nearly every state in the union. It’s tough
for them to really know their customers.”
EUREKA SQUARE & BURI BURI
Branch Manager, Gary Moore (both)
Personal Banker at Eureka Square,
Chandra Coh (top)
Personal Banker at Buri Buri,
Angelica Reynoso (bottom)
MILLBRAE/SAN BRUNO
Branch Manager, Marina Tolentino
Personal Banker, Piere Albarquez
Millbrae/San Bruno is the highest volume
branch with a good mix of consumer and
commercial accounts. Marina Tolentino,
Gary Moore has the challenge of
who has been at this location for over
managing two of the bank’s busy locations. twenty years, was its Operations
At Eureka Square, his personal banker
Supervisor until she took over as Branch
is Chandra Coh. “Chandra and I have
Manager in September 2009.
worked together for several years. With her
“There are people who I’ve been helping
expertise in the bank’s products and
my whole time here. I’m very familiar
services, and my experience in the
lending area, we have a very knowledgeable with the customers—we’re already
like family.”
team heading into 2010,” said Gary. It’s
the same with personal banker Angelica
New to the Millbrae sales team,
Reynoso in the Buri Buri branch—Gary
having recently transferred from the
has worked with her in prior years, and
Portola Branch, is Piere Albarquez the
looks forward to a successful partnership.
Personal Banker who accounts his success
from the teachings of his previous
Manager, Brian Palter. He looks forward
to working closely with Marina so
Millbrae/San Mateo. . . . . . . . . . .Continued on Page 10
HALF MOON BAY & PESCADERO
Branch Manager, Sara Watson (left)
Personal Banker at Pescadero,
George Santana (middle)
Personal Banker at Half Moon Bay,
Andrea Elorriaga (right)
Sara Watson manages two different FNB
locations. She spends more time in Half
Moon Bay than the Pescadero branch,
where her personal banker George Santana
is a great help.
Both George and Andrea Elorriaga, the
personal banker in Half Moon Bay, are on
the same “customer service” page as Sara.
She says, “Some people think of bankers
like car salesmen, and that’s definitely
not correct. We listen to our customers
and see if there is something that will
help them earn more interest, or just
make their banking experience more
pleasurable.”
LINDA MAR
COLMA
REDWOOD CITY
SAN MATEO
POST STREET—SAN FRANCISCO
Branch Manager, Hem Patel (left)
Personal Banker, Amber Kazarian (right)
Branch Manager, Donna Meschi
Personal Banker, Reynold Sariji
Branch Manager, Leila Perreras (right)
Personal Banker, Sobers Rajakumar (left)
Branch Manager, Kathy Marona (left)
Personal Banker, Hershey Guevarra (right)
Branch Manager, Derek Chan
Personal Banker, Vivian Wan
To Branch Manager Hem Patel and
Personal Banker Amber Kazarian, the job
is not about selling products, it’s about
building a lasting relationship—one where
customers drop by on a regular basis,
sometimes just to say hello.
“One of the big things we do here is to
build a friendship with our customers,”
says branch manager Donna Meschi, who
previously managed the FNB group that
filled in for absences and branch vacancies.
Branch manager Leila Perreras, who
started with First National on June 1,
2009, has worked in sales, marketing,
and business development since 1994.
She knows how to talk to small business
owners, make new customers feel
secure, and develop new relationships in
the community.
Branch Manger Kathy Marona came
to FNB in July 2009, after ten years
at another bank, where she says, “The
managers and executives hide out. I
didn’t believe in that culture. I
absolutely love it here because this bank
really cares about the client experience.”
Like some of the other branch managers,
Derek Chan worked for the big banks
before coming to FNB, and finding his
niche. “First National Bank is unique
because it’s community bank that cares
about employees, customers, and the
local community. It is my privilege to
work with a group of dedicated people,”
says Derek.
“Frequently, our two roles merge and we
act as a team. It may be for a new account
or resolve an issue, but it’s not unusual to
see us together at a desk putting our minds
and efforts together to give a customer top
notch service,” says Hem.
“Next time you’re in the branch, visit
with Amber or myself. The conversation
doesn’t have to be about banking.
Whatever your needs may be, we are here
for you. That’s what being a part of
a family is all about,” adds Hem.
8
“When you walk into the Colma branch
both Reynold and I welcome you and
work as a team to ensure your needs are
taken care of. In fact, whether you are
here to talk to either of us, to do a
transaction with a Teller or Operations,
that welcomed feeling resounds in our
entire branch! We make every effort to
get to know our customers as they are
truly valued and to build a trusting
banking relationship, is what it is all
about,” says Donna.
Personal banker Sobers Rajakumar
complements her skills with his
thorough product knowledge and
excellent rapport with the branch’s
customers.
“Customers like that our executives—
Mr. McGraw, Mr. Clifford, and Mr.
Black—are very accessible and visible,”
explains Leila. “Where can you get that
with any big bank? I mean, I can easily
take Jim Black on a client call and that’s
a big selling point in terms of service.”
Both Kathy and her personal banker,
Hershey, share the same core values.
“The client will judge you on what you
do, versus what you say. Be realistic
about what you tell your clients. And
always follow through. If you build up
trust, clients become loyal and then it
is not about selling, it’s about helping,”
Kathy said.
“When you come into this branch,
the energy is very positive,” she
continues. “The employees really
San Mateo Branch. . . . . . . . . . .Continued on Page 10
One of these is Vivian Wan, personal
banker at the Post Street office. Derek
describes her as someone who is energetic,
professional, and focused on what’s best
for her customers.
“Everything we do comes from our
customer-centric approach,” continues
Derek. “It’s what sets us apart from the
big banks. Customers have easy access to
branch management, and we always greet
them by name.”
PORTOLA DRIVE—
SAN FRANCISCO
Branch Manager, Brian Palter
Personal Banker, Lina Salah
The Portola location in San Francisco has
more personal than business accounts,
and many of those belong to long time
customers who have set money aside for
retirement.
Brian works with his personal bankers
through role-play—Lina Salah has been at
the Portola branch since September 2009,
and Brian says she’s a quick study. The
role-play involves acting as both customer
and banker, on the phone and in person.
This helps Brian and Lina experience what
it’s like to walk in the customer’s shoes.
Brian’s approach has been effective:
Portola more than doubled in size since
last year, going from $14 million to
$31 million in deposits.
9
Danna
Grochol
Retires
from
FNBNC
CORPORATE BANKING
Deposit Services Officer/AVP,
Grace Turla
Premier Banking Services Representative,
Jason Viray
Corporate Banking was established in
1996 to service FNB’s premier deposit
customers. Grace Turla and Jason Viray
partner to provide excellent service and
are the liaisons with internal departments
such as electronic banking, card services,
and loans whenever customers need
assistance.
Corporate Banking also assists branches
with questions about the other services
they oversee such as analysis, sweeps,
non-cash couriers, armored transportation,
and lock box services.n
10
Photos by Scott Buschman
Photography
August 13, 2009
First National
Bank of Northern California joined
together to acknowledge Danna
Grochol as she retired from FNBNC as VP/Branch Manager of
our Millbrae/San Bruno branch.
That night, many heartfelt stories
were shared about Danna from
her family, friends and colleagues.
Danna astounded everyone as she
walked around the room to say a
little something about each guest in
attendance and through her words,
you could feel her true dedication
to serving her customers, whom she
fondly referred to as her family.
If you knew Danna, getting you
to smile and laugh was always her
goal and that night, it was truly
accomplished.
Thank you Danna, we wish both
you and Al a wonderful retirement.
From Page 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Millbrae/SanBruno Branch
together they can continue the success of
the Millbrae branch.
Marina is proud of her branch’s personal
service. When you call her or Piere they
are ready to help you with your inquiries.
This is much different than the approach
at the “big banks.”
Beware: Online
Banking Fraud
E
lectronic banking is a marvel:
fast, convenient, and paperless.
However, this area of cyberspace
also has an underbelly—where scam
artists wait to prey on folks like you.
They know the key to unlocking your
online banking account is a password
and Access ID.
Don’t Share Your
Information
“We tell our customers to never share
their Access ID and password with
anyone,” says Taus Raza, First National
Bank of Northern California’s
Electronic Banking Supervisor.
“We’ll never ask our customers for any
sensitive information, such as social
security and account numbers, or
Access ID and password, via e-mail.
To further protect our customers, we
require them to change their password
every three months.”
Multi-factor
Authentication
First National Bank has also
implemented a security procedure
called multi-factor authentication. It
verifies the authenticity of the
customer’s identity, using more than
From Page 9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .San Mateo Branch
want to be here, as opposed to the big
banks. You feel like their tellers are
annoyed that you’re trying to make a
deposit or a withdrawal.”
one validation factor—in other words,
there are layers of security.
One of these factors or layers is the
computer used during the initial online
account setup. If you choose to register
your computer with the FNB system, it
will recognize that computer whenever
you log in from the same machine.
Let’s say you’re on vacation and want to
access your online account from another
computer, or worse
case scenario, a scam
artist has stolen
your Access ID and
password and tries
to sign on to online
banking using his/
her laptop. Before
either computer is granted access, the
system asks a security question that
you set up during the enrollment
process, as an additional authentication
factor. Without the correct answer,
neither you nor a scam artist can access
your account.
Common Types of Online
Fraud: Phishing, Spoofing,
Pharming
Phishing (pronounced fishing)—With
this type of fraud, an e-mail is sent to
you from the “phisher” who acts as a
representative of FNB, and tries to hook
you into providing personal information.
The e-mail asks you to reconfirm your
personal information (Access ID,
password, social security number,
security questions and answers, account
numbers, etc.). The e-mail also contains
a link to a fake web site—an almost
perfect replica of the FNB site. At this
point, you would know something was
“phishy” because the bank never asks you
to reconfirm your personal information
via e-mail. Never click on a link in this
type of e-mail.
unauthorized software will automatically
redirect you to a fraudulent or spoofed
web site,” explains Taus Raza.
Spoofing—Most of the time, spoofing
works hand in hand with phishing. A
spoofed web site may look exactly like the
authentic web site. As mentioned above,
there is usually a link included in a
phishing e-mail
directing you to this
fraudulent (spoofed)
site, where you’re asked
to provide your personal
information.
“To protect your computer from
pharming and viruses such as the Trojan
horse, which allows people to remotely
control your computer, we recommend
that our customers install and maintain
the most recent version of their antivirus
software,” continues Taus. “And, they
need to make sure they’ve downloaded the
most recent updates for their Windows
operating system.”
You know you’re being
spoofed because the bank
will never send an e-mail containing a link
to our web site. Another way to identify
a spoofed FNB web site: after you
enter your Access ID, you will not see the
authentication image and pass phrase you
selected during enrollment.
Notify the Electronic Banking department
immediately when a spoofed site collects
your Access ID and password. If this
happens, your account is still protected
by another level of authentication—your
three security questions—which prevent
the hackers from entering the FNB site.
Pharming (pronounced farming)—
“Pharmers” plant unauthorized software
on your computer, without your
knowledge. “If you use a search engine
and open a site that you’re not very
familiar with, or have not viewed before,
unauthorized software can automatically
be installed on your computer. The next
time you access FNB’s web site, the
Antivirus Software
Working Together
FNB also does intrusion detection, which
involves penetration testing to make sure
that intruders are not able to hack its
system. The bank is doing everything it
can to protect you from online fraud. By
working together and remaining vigilant,
you and FNB can keep your accounts safe
and secure. n
Secure On Line
Account Opening
& Texting to your
Cell Phone
W
ould you be interested in secure
on line account opening and
receiving text messages to your
cell phone concerning your bank balances?
Please let me know at
[email protected]. Thanks,
Tom McGraw.
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