What Is "Phishing?" "Phishing" refers to a person or a group of cyber-criminals who create an imitation or copy of an existing legitimate Web page to trick users into providing sensitive personal information. Responding to "phishing" emails put your accounts at risk. Large numbers of recipients are being "spammed," without actual knowledge of their banking affiliation. They request and collect email addresses and other confidential information like financial account numbers, IDs and passwords. The cyber-criminals have copied the logos and the content styles of widely known and respected financial institutions in an attempt to elicit a response from a recipient who may or may not be a customer of that financial institution. The number and sophistication of phishing scams sent out to consumers is continuing to increase dramatically. While online banking and e-commerce is very safe, as a general rule you should be careful about giving out your personal financial information over the Internet. Protect Your Identity At Central Bank, we have your best interest in mind at all times. Your confidential information is of the utmost importance to us and we will never ask you to share your account number, online password, credit card number or ATM PIN via the Internet. Access Your Accounts Safely Online At Central Bank we want to ensure you have a secure and convenient way to manage your accounts. However, some software such as free music-sharing programs or screensavers display pop-ups at random intervals based upon your Web surfing habits. Although some programs may simply present annoying pop-up advertisements, others may contain Trojan programs similar to a computer virus. You can help protect your security online by taking the following steps: Keep your operating system up to date Use a current browser Use virus protection software Protect your password Carefully review Web sites, online advertisements, and emails before taking any action or submitting any personal information online. Act immediately if you’ve been hooked by a phisher. If you provided account numbers, PINS, or passwords to a phisher, notify the companies with whom you have the accounts right away. For information about how to put a “fraud alert” on your files at the credit reporting bureaus and other advice for ID theft victims, contact the Federal Trade Commission’s ID Theft Clearinghouse, www.idtheft.gov or 877-438-4338, TDD 202-326-2502.