PRIVACY POLICY FOR CONSUMERS

FRAUDULENT “BANK” EMAILS

Your PROMÉRICA BANK relationship entitles you to ongoing education, alerts, and assistance concerning security issues such as the fraudulent online practice known as “phishing”.

Recently, banking customers around the U.S. began reporting fraudulent e-mails that appear to be from their banks but are, in fact, sent by impostors. Such fraudulent emails often include attachments, request personal information, or both.

Unsuspecting consumers click on a link and are taken to a phony website that often looks legitimate. After entering their personal information, they soon find that their identity has been used, their bank account emptied, or that bills have been racked up on their credit cards.

We want your online experience to be enjoyable and worry-free. That’s why we use up-to-date encryption and practice the highest possible standard for security procedures.

HOW YOU CAN PROTECT YOURSELF

Act quickly if you suspect fraud. If you believe someone is trying to commit fraud by pretending to be PROMÉRICA BANK, contact us immediately at 213-613-5000.

Use a strong password. Choose passwords that are difficult for others to guess. Use combinations of letters, numbers, lower case and capital letters if possible.

Change your online password often.

Leave suspicious sites. If you suspect that a website is not what it claims to be, leave the site immediately. Do not follow any of the instructions it provides.

Be alert for scam e-mails. These may appear to come from a trusted business or friend, but actually are designed to trick you into downloading a virus or jumping to a fraudulent website and disclosing sensitive information.

Don’t reply to e-mails that request personal information. Be suspicious of any e-mail from a business or person that asks for your password, Social Security number, or other highly sensitive information, or one that sends you personal information and asks you to update or confirm it. Call us at 213-613-5000 to confirm e-mails claiming to be from PROMÉRICA BANK.

Open e-mails only when you know the sender. Be careful about opening e-mail with attachments. Even a friend may accidentally send an e-mail with a virus.

Be careful before clicking on links contained in e-mails. The link may not be trustworthy.

Do not send sensitive personal or financial information unless it is encrypted. Regular e-mails are not encrypted. Look for a padlock symbol on the bottom bar of your browser to ensure the site is in secure mode BEFORE entering sensitive information. Verify that the link is PROMÉRICA BANK’s by double-clicking on the padlock to see a message identifying to whom the encryption certificate is issued, for example: serverXXX.cey-ebanking.com.

Do business only with companies you know and trust.

Be aware! Phony “look-alike” websites are designed to trick consumers and collect their personal information. Make sure the websites on which you transact business post privacy and security statements, and review them carefully.

Make sure your home computer has the most current anti-virus software. Anti-virus software needs frequent updates to guard against new viruses. Make sure you download the anti-virus updates as soon as you are notified that a download is available.

Install a personal firewall. This is especially important if you connect to the Internet via a cable modem or digital subscriber line (DSL) modem.

Monitor your transactions. Review your order confirmations and bank statements as soon as possible to make sure you are being charged only for actual transactions you made. Immediately report any irregularities in your PROMÉRICA BANK accounts by calling 213-613-5000.
 

On-line Banking Login

Business customers are eligible for a 1.20% Annual Percentage Yield for five months. Minimum of $10,000 to open Rate effective February 24, 2010, and it is subject to change. Client must open a new business checking account concurrently to qualify for rate. (New Money only)