Privacy & Security

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Keeping Your Information Safe

Our Privacy Policy

Cherokee State Bank’s privacy policy outlines how we collect your personal information, what we share, and what we don’t share. See our privacy policy.

Fraud Prevention Tips

Employ these tips from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to keep yourself and your family safe from fraud:

Never give out personal information through a text, phone, email or in-person request from someone you do not know, even if they say they are a family member, friend, government official, or charity.
If a situation seems suspicious, do an online search. For example, if someone calls from a charity saying you’ve won a prize, search the name of the charity followed by “scam” to verify their authenticity.
Do not believe anyone calling or texting you asking for money or personal information. Instead, find a number for the organization they say they are with to evaluate its authenticity.
Don’t pay upfront for services like debt relief or credit or loan offers. If the company isn’t legit, there’s nothing stopping them from disappearing once they have your money.
Avoid risky payment options like wiring money or using reloadable debit cards. If someone is asking you to make a payment using these options, they most likely are not reputable.
Don’t engage at all with robocalls that have recorded sales pitches. These calls are illegal and should be reported to the FTC. Speaking with an actual person or pressing a number to be taken off their list could simply result in more calls.
Be wary of free trials. Their terms could be very unfavorable and leave you paying for services you thought were free. Check the terms of the free trials and review monthly statements for unknown charges.

Online Safety Tips

Criminals are going online more and more to try to steal your information. Here’s how you can prevent that from happening:

Limit the amount of personal information you share online.
Limit your use of public WiFi networks.
Keep your personal computer and mobile devices up to date with the latest operating systems and security safeguards.
Before entering personal or financial information into any online form, check to see if the page URL starts with “https” and has a padlock symbol as this indicates a secure, encrypted form.
Be wary of clicking links in emails, even if they appear to be from your financial institution or another legitimate source. They may be phishing emails, so call the main number of the organization to verify the email if you think an email is suspicious.
Create strong passwords and rotate them regularly for online banking, mobile banking and social media platforms.
A good general rule: if you haven’t done business with a company before or don’t recognize the web address or sender of an email, then it’s safe to assume they are not legitimate.

Travel Tips

The last thing you want when you’re traveling or when you get back from a trip is to have a financial disaster. Here are a few tips you can use to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible:

Let us know about your travel plans, including destination, areas you are traveling through and dates of your trip.
Have your mail held while you are gone.
Don’t keep all of your purchasing power in one place (wallet, purse, etc.). Keep cash, debit cards and credit cards in separate spots in your luggage, carry-ons or pockets. That way, if you lose one you won't be totally without money.
Only use Privileged Status ATMs and avoid unknown, off-brand ATMs.
If you do lose your debit card or think it’s stolen, contact us immediately.

Identity Theft Restoration

We take your safety and security very seriously and so should you. While there are tools to help protect your information, you are a key resource in keeping your information safe and secure. To help safeguard your information from potential fraud and identity theft, we offer the following recommendations.

Never:

Give personal information on the phone, Internet, or over email; unless you know whom you are dealing with.
Click on links sent in unsolicited emails.
Use obvious passwords, such as birth dates or mother’s maiden name.

Always:

Keep your anti-virus and anti-spyware software up to date.
Shred all financial documents and paperwork before discarding them.
Protect your SSN. Only give it out if it’s necessary or ask to use another form of ID.
Keep your personal information in a secure place at your home.
Monitor your financial statements regularly and notify your financial institution of suspicious activity.
Monitor your credit report regularly for unauthorized purchases or debts.

For a Free Copy of Your Credit Report

Reputable companies who offer a free copy of your credit report:

Equifax® call (800) 525-6285 or visit www.equifax.com
Experian® call (888) 397-3742 or visit www.experian.com
TransUnion® call (800) 680-7289 or visit www.transunion.com

Protection is Key

Protecting your information is the greatest weapon you have in preventing fraud. Remember, you are in control of your information. By applying some simple personal security measures, you can protect your account and personal information from becoming compromised — before it becomes an issue.