Consumer Awareness and Education

Identity Theft

Identity theft is a serious crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another individual's personal data, such as name, address, social security number, birthday, debit or credit card number, or other personal identity detail, typically for financial gain. This can lead to unauthorized transactions, damaged credit, and significant financial loss for the victim. 

Identity theft can occur through various means, including phishing scams, data breaches, and physical theft of personal documents. It is crucial to take proactive steps to protect your personal information and monitor your financial accounts regularly to detect any suspicious activity early and act quickly.  

Methods of Identity Theft

Phishing Scheme – This is a type of cyber-attack where scammers impersonate a trustworthy entity to trick individuals into providing sensitive data, such as passwords, credit card numbers, or social security numbers. These attacks often come in the form of emails, text messages, or social media messages that appear to be from legitimate sources such as friends and family, banks, or government agencies. These schemes often involve a malicious link or attachment that, when clicked, can lead to a fake website that captures your information or installs malware on your device. 

Malware – Short for "malicious software", this refers to any software intentionally designed to cause harm to a computer, device, server, or network. Examples of this software can be viruses, ransomware, spyware, adware, keystroke loggers, or trojan horses. These programs can be spread through emails, text messages, fake websites, and even physical media such as USB drives. To protect against malware, it is important to use current anti-virus software, keep operating systems and apps up to date, and avoid suspicious links and downloads. 

Account Takeover is a form of identity theft in which a malicious third party gains access to an individual's online accounts. These can be financial accounts, social media profiles, email accounts, or online retail accounts. Once this third party has gained access, they may use the accounts to make unauthorized transactions, transfer funds out of the account, steal personal information, or launch further attacks. Attackers often obtain login credentials through methods like phishing, malware, or purchasing stolen data from data breaches. They may also use a technique called "credential stuffing" in which they try commonly used passwords. 

Protecting Yourself Online

On any website, social media platform, or online app, some basic precautions can help keep you safe from online schemes and criminals.    

Use Strong Passwords – Choose passwords that are a minimum of 12 characters in length, and contain a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Avoid using common phrases, repeated or sequential characters such as 123456, or using easily found information such as a birthday or street name.

Change Passwords Frequently – Use unique passwords on different sites and change those passwords often. Using a trusted, secure password management app can help you keep track of different passwords safely.

Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) - Enabling 2FA on your accounts adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of verification, such as a code sent to your phone.

Avoid Open Networks – Do not use public computers and public Wi-Fi networks, such as those in libraries, restaurants, or hotels, to access your financial accounts. These unsecured networks can be monitored by bad actors, allowing them to capture your login details or other financial information.

Look for Website Security Indicators – SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security) are encryption-based Internet security protocols designed to ensure privacy, authentication, and data integrity in online, preventing third parties from intercepting your data. Websites using SSL/TLS will have URLs starting with “https://” instead of “http://”, indicating the connection is secure. Some browsers may also display a lock symbol beside the URL.

Protecting Your Personal and Financial Data

Staying vigilant is the most important habit in protecting your finances. Taking quick action when something looks amiss can mitigate the potential damage.

Monitor Your Accounts Regularly – Check your balances and transactions frequently, even daily, to spot any suspicious activity early. Report any unauthorized transactions to Old Glory Bank’s Customer Service or the appropriate financial institution immediately. Old Glory Bank's Card Manager feature lets you monitor transactions, set alerts and controls based on merchant type, location, and more. Read about Old Glory Bank’s Card Manager feature here.

Log Out After Each Session – Ensure you have fully logged out of your online banking session when you are finished, even on your home network or personal devices.

Beware of Phishing Scams – Never click on links or download attachments from unknown or suspicious emails. Verify the sender’s email address and look for signs of phishing, such as urgent language or misspellings.

Never Share Your Login Credentials – Safeguard your username and password, and do not share credentials with any other person, including access codes and security challenge questions and answers. Change your passwords often.

Use a Secure PIN - When choosing your PIN (Personal Identification Number) for a debit card, avoid using a number or word that is easily guessed or found in your wallet, such as a birthday, child's name, street address, or sequential number like 1234. Never share your PIN with anyone, and do not write it down anywhere, especially on your card.

Immediately Report Lost or Stolen Financial Information – If you believe your account number, debit or credit card number, login credentials, or physical debit or credit card has been lost or stolen, report it immediately to Old Glory Bank or the appropriate financial institution. 

To report a lost or stolen Old Glory Bank debit card, please call us immediately at 888-446-5345. 

Protecting Older and Vulnerable Adults

Sadly, financial abuse of senior and vulnerable adults happens all too often. The signs can be subtle and easily missed. Old Glory Bank trains our employees to watch for the signs of elder abuse when conversing with a customer. If you are caring for a senior or vulnerable adult, be aware of these important signs: 

New "Friends" or Helpers – Some vulnerable adults fall victim to neighbors, caregivers, family members, or even romance schemes that trick them into transferring or wiring funds to an account, buying gift cards, or writing checks to a third party. In other scenarios, the victim is deceived by someone impersonating a bank employee, an IRS or Medicare agent, or technical support for a trusted company. 

Unusual Financial Activity – Look for unexplained withdrawals, large expenditures or transfers, or sudden changes in spending habits and banking practices. 

Forged Signatures – Be watchful for signs of forgery on checks or other financial documents.

Increased Account Activity – A sudden increase in account activity (transactions, transfers, or logins to online banking) that is inconsistent with the individual's usual spending habits may indicate unauthorized access to the account. 

If you suspect a vulnerable adult is being subjected to financial abuse or theft, please report the suspicious activity to your local law enforcement or Adult Protective Services. 

Is it really Old Glory Bank calling? 

Old Glory Bank will never ask for your online security credentials, such as your username, password, or a secure access code via phone, email, or text. If you receive an unsolicited call from someone claiming to represent Old Glory Bank and requesting sensitive financial information, please do not respond. Hang up and call us back at our known number, which is 888-446-5345, to ensure that you are communicating directly with Old Glory Bank.

• Pay attention to the phone number contacting you. Old Glory Bank will only call you from the area codes 405 (Oklahoma, where we are based) or 888/833. Be aware that scammers can fake Caller ID information to make it look like they are calling from our number. 
• Five-digit short codes are often used by financial institutions, including Old Glory Bank, to send secure access codes and other alerts. An authentic Secure Access Code (SAC) from Old Glory Bank will come from a short code such as “86-434”. 
• Our fraud software utilizes the following numbers, which you may want to add to your saved contacts: short-code 37-268, or phone numbers 833-763-2031, 833-763-2033, or 833-735-1892. 

Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law enacted in 1970 to ensure the accuracy, fairness, and privacy of consumer information contained in the files of consumer reporting agencies. 

The FCRA requires consumer reporting agencies to follow reasonable procedures to ensure the maximum possible accuracy of the information they collect and distribute. The FCRA restricts access to consumer reports to those with a legitimate need, such as creditors, insurers, employers, and landlords. 

As a consumer, you have the right to know what information is in your credit report. You can request a free copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) once every 12 months.

• Equifax (888-Equifax or 888-378-4329)
• Experian (888-397-3742)
• TransUnion (800-916-8800)

AnnualCreditReport.com is a service through which you may request your free credit report from all three agencies on a yearly basis. 

If you find inaccurate or incomplete information in your report, you have a right to dispute it. The reporting agency has an obligation to investigate the dispute and correct any confirmed errors. 

If the information in your consumer report is used against you, such as being denied credit or employment, the FCRA requires that you be notified and provided with the name, address, and phone number of the agency that provided the information. 

Additional Resources