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Internet Security

Report Online Fraud: What You Can Do

Report an e-mail or online fraud

If you think you have been a victim of fraud (e-mail fraud, identity fraud, phishing, spyware), please do the following so we can investigate:

  1. Select contact@goldenvalleybank.com. An e-mail message window will open.
  2. Describe the fraudulent incident.
  3. Attach or include any fraudulent e-mails you received or anti-virus/anti-spyware scan logs.
  4. Do not inlcude personal information such as; SSN, account number, etc.
  5. Select the Send button.

Note: If you believe someone has obtained your card number and password, please call us immediately at 1-530-894-1000 to report the incident.

Keep your password and PIN safe

Do not share your GVB Online Banking password or ATM/Debit Card Secret Code (PIN) with anyone. Giving your password or PIN to another person or company places your finances and privacy at risk.

Change your password regularly and use a different password than you use for other websites. Make it difficult for others to guess your password by using a combination of letters and numbers in your password. If you think someone knows your password, change it right away.

Your security answers for GVB Online Banking should be unique - do not use security answers that you have used previously on other web sites.

Look for the lock icon

Before entering personal information on a website, look for the "lock" icon in your browser. A closed lock or padlock indicates that the website you are on is secure. You can also confirm a website is secure by looking for "https" in the website address.

Clear your browser's cache

If you use a public or shared computer with GVB Online Banking, it is vital that you log out when you are finished. Once you have logged out, you should delete the browser's cache. The cache maintains a copy of web pages that have been viewed recently.

Protect your computer from viruses

Protect your computer by ensuring you have an anti-virus program installed and that you update it regularly. Most anti-virus programs offer automatic updates to help ensure you are always up to date. Viruses can damage your computer, lead to the loss of your files, and some can capture information from your computer and send it across the Internet to another computer.

Do not open e-mail attachments unless you trust the person or company that sent you the e-mail. Ensure your anti-virus program automatically scans your e-mail attachments for viruses.

Use a firewall

When your computer is connected to the Internet, it is vulnerable to "attack" through the Internet connection. Although this is a problem for all types of Internet connections, DSL and cable modem connections are more vulnerable because they offer an "always on" capability. You can help protect your computer from attack by using a personal firewall. Personal firewalls can be software, hardware, or both, and create a barrier to attacks.

Microsoft Windows XP and Apple MacOS X both include basic personal firewalls, but you must activate them to be effective.

Direct Deposit and Online Banking

Arrange with your employer to have your salary deposited directly to your GVB account so you can prevent lost or stolen checks. With GVB Online Banking, you can also set up recurring transfers and payments from your GVB account so that your obligations are met automatically.

Install security updates

Most personal computers use the Microsoft Windows and Apple MacOS operating systems. The makers of these systems regularly issue security updates to protect against new and emerging threats. You should download and install security updates regularly or configure your operating system to automatically check for new updates.

Beware of e-mail fraud

Be wary of e-mails that ask for personal information and never provide your personal passwords, personal information numbers or login information for GVB Online Banking.

Beware of identity fraud

Take steps to protect yourself against identity fraud, including protecting your personal information, memorizing your passwords and reporting thefts and losses immediately.

Look for privacy policies on other websites

GVB websites provide links to other websites that are not operated by GVB or governed by GVB's privacy policy or security standards. If you visit one of these websites, you should read their unique privacy and security policies before entering data on those sites.

View your credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com. You may call 877-322-8228 or write to Annual Credit Report Service, P.O. Box 105283, Atlanta, GA 30348-5283. (If electing to request it by mail, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has a form available at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/include/requestformfinal.pdf. Each credit reporting agency allows for a credit report once per year, obtain 1 report from one agency, and every 4 months obtain another report from another agency. This allows you to view your credit report every 4 months, rather than just once time a year.