On this page, you'll find financial information relevant to you, especially how to protect yourself and your accounts from fraud. Our latest news is on top, but we also have included a list of helpful links, frequently asked questions and a roundup of the online banking videos scattered on various pages of our nbc.bank website. If you want to know if an email, text, call or letter you received is legitimate, please contact our customer service department at (800) 590-2580 or CustomerService@nbcok.com. Being aware is the first step in keeping your money and your identity safe.
Latest News
Can you spot a phishing scam?
Oct. 17, 2022
This year's #BanksNeverAskThat campaign from the American Bankers Association will help you learn how.
It’s time to put scammers in their place. Online scams aren’t so scary when you know what to look for. At NBC Oklahoma, we’re committed to helping you spot them as an extra layer of protection for your account. We’ve joined with the American Bankers Association and banks across the country in a nationwide effort to fight phishing — one scam at a time. We want every bank customer to become a pro at spotting a phishing scam — and stop bank impostors in their tracks. It starts with these four words: Banks Never Ask That. Because when you know something sounds suspicious, you’ll be less likely to be fooled. These four phishing scams are full of red flags:
Text message: If you receive a text message from someone claiming to be your bank asking you to sign in, or offer up your personal information, it’s a scam. Banks Never Ask That.
Email: Watch out for emails that ask you to click a suspicious link or provide personal information. The sender may claim to be someone from your bank, but it’s a scam. Banks Never Ask That.
Phone call: Would your bank ever call you to verify your account number. No! Banks Never Ask That. If you’re ever in doubt that the caller is legitimate, just hang up and call the bank directly at a number you trust.
Payment apps: Beware of text messages from someone claiming to be your bank saying your account has been hacked. The scammer may ask you to send money to a new account they’ve created for you, but that’s a scam! Banks Never Ask That.
You’ve probably seen some of these scams before. We've joined with the American Bankers Association previously to use their blog entries, social media posts, videos and other materials in the #BanksNeverAskThat campaign addressing this very subject. But that doesn’t stop a scammer from trying. Their techniques to trick you are getting more sophisticated, so you must get more sophisticated in spotting them in order to protect yourself. For tips, videos and an interactive game to help you keep phishing criminals at bay, visit BanksNeverAskThat.com. Be sure to share the webpage with your friends and family; it's too important an issue to ignore, and we don't want anyone to fall victim to these heinous scams. See new information by following @NBCOklahoma on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn or going to our Customer Education page.
Think before you tap or click before sending money with Zelle® or another mobile payment system
When you send money using Zelle® or other mobile payment systems, treat it like you would cash and verify the recipient's information before you hit "send."
April 20, 2022
When using mobile payment services like Zelle®, make sure you know who you are sending money to in every transaction. Once you hit “send,” the money is gone. Think of it as sending cash.
Sending money to another person using your phone is an easy way to pay people for your share of the dinner tab, babysitting services, yard work, and even monetary gifting. Through the NBC mobile and online experience, you can send money with Zelle®, which is fast, safe, and convenient.
However, scammers are working hard to take advantage of that convenience and trick you into sending money to them. It’s important for you to be careful before you tap or click the “send” button.
Treat sending money through mobile payment services like you would treat cash. Once you have authorized the payment, the money is gone from your account, there is little you can do to get it back if it is sent in error. Since it is like sending cash, often there is no protection for payments that you authorized.
When using any mobile payment system:
Verify the email, cell phone or username of the recipient before you send it. Only send funds with Zelle® to people you trust, not to pay for goods or services to strangers on the internet.
Beware of scams, and there are many. For example, one of them involves a stranger selling you an item at a price that seems too good to be true (like a concert ticket). Once you authorize the funds, you never see the item. Don’t fall for this. Only handle such transactions with people you personally know.
Zelle® is a safe way to send money, with lots of measures in place to help keep it safe and to monitor for fraudulent use. It’s very convenient, and mobile payment services like it are here to stay. Also, we at NBC will continue to do all we can to work with you to protect you and your accounts from fraudulent transactions.
But you have a role to play, too. When you hear about people losing money through a mobile payment service, often it’s not because the service has been hacked or because something has happened on the side of Zelle® or the bank. It often means that people have been tricked into sending it to someone pretending to be their friend or a legitimate business. If that is the case, there’s a good chance you won’t be able to get your money back. That’s why it’s important for you to pay close attention when using these services.
General ways to protect yourself
Fraudsters are good at social engineering, phishing for your account information. They are constantly adopting new ways to separate you from your money. You can protect yourself and keep your money safe. Things to know:
Refunds are not issued through Zelle®. If somebody calls you and offers refunds via Zelle®, hang up the phone and call us at the bank. Beware of payment scams.
Your financial institution will never call or text you to request sensitive information. If you receive such a call or text, don’t reply; instead, hang up and call our customer service number.
Don’t provide your account number or personal information by email, phone or text.
Don’t trust caller ID: Caller ID may be modified to show your financial institution’s name.
Don’t feel pressured to provide information immediately in response to requests via text, email or phone. Using any of our banks’ published phone numbers, call us to confirm that the request is legitimate.
Don’t give information over the phone if you receive a call stating that a transaction is canceled, even if the caller claims to be from your financial institution. Once again, contact us.
Don’t click on links in unsolicited emails or texts.
Don’t give an unsolicited caller remote access to your computer.
As we mentioned above, treat Zelle® like cash. Money moves fast – directly into the enrolled recipient’s bank account. Always double-check the recipient’s correct U.S. mobile number or email address, so the money goes to the right person.
Overall, scammers have been around for years and are always trying to prey on the public. Popular scams include nonexistent student loan repayment plans, fake charities, and criminals camouflaging themselves as public organizations relating to health, government agencies, and financial institutions, as we’ve talked about with the Robocalls.
You can work with us to protect your account by being vigilant using Zelle® and other payment systems as well. If you have any questions, call us. We are here to help.
More about Zelle®
Zelle® is a fast, safe and easy way to send money directly from one bank or credit union account in the U.S. to another. It is embedded into the digital banking experiences of participating financial institutions like NBC, and you can access it through our online or mobile banking app. More than 150 million Americans can find Zelle® in their banking app. The Zelle Network® processed $490 billion sent on 1.8 billion transactions in 2021, which shows how important this service is to people. Zelle® is an easy way to send money to or request money from friends, family and people you trust without sharing sensitive account information. All you need is a U.S. mobile phone number or email address to send or receive money.
Zelle® is owned by Early Warning Services, LLC, an innovator in payment and risk management solutions. This financial tech company was started by seven of America's largest banks -- Bank of America, Truist (formerly BB&T), Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, PNC Bank, U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo – as a way to help consumers make easy payments directly to each other, even if they bank at different places. Other banks like NBC license Zelle® to provide it as a service to consumers, but they do not have ownership in the company.
Zelle® does not hold or handle any funds but provides the messaging between your bank and the fund recipient’s bank. If you accidentally type in a wrong email address or phone number, contact your bank immediately.
Zelle® and the Zelle®-related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC and are used herein under license.
Cyberattacks might be increasing, but you don’t have to be a victim
NBC Oklahoma remains vigilant about protecting your accounts, but the line of defense starts with you.
March 4, 2022
Russia’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine has unsettled and upset people worldwide and sent markets reeling. We are watching with sadness the real human tragedy unfolding before us, but as a bank, we also want to help you protect yourself and your money from the increase in cyberattacks we are seeing as part of Russia’s invasion.
First, we want to reassure you that your money is safe in American banks like NBC Oklahoma. We are committed to continuing the banking industry’s tradition of safeguarding confidential financial information, and our customers are protected against losses, as the American Bankers Association notes. When a customer reports an unauthorized transaction, the bank will take measures to recover your loss and protect the account. Also, unlike many other businesses that have experienced security breaches, banks already have a regulatory system in place that requires them to address cyber threats and notify their customers when a data breach occurs.
But it’s also important for you to be vigilant as well, especially with the rise of cybercriminal activity in recent years. Scammers are getting more creative in ways they’ll use to separate you from your money, which means we all have to get much smarter in knowing their tricks. As a banking customer, you have a role to play in keeping your money safe, too.
The U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued warnings in recent days about destructive malware targeting businesses in Ukraine and beyond as part of Russia’s attack. This malware is designed to destroy computer systems and render them inoperable and could spill over to other countries like the United States, CISA stated. And even though the CISA, FBI and National Security Agency are watching this situation carefully, as are banks, you can help, too.
At NBC, all of our employees have regular security training alerting us to the latest scams the FBI, Federal Trade Commission, banking regulatory associations and other law enforcement agencies are seeing. Just recently, our training gave us the following tips that we want to pass on to you:
Don’t ever click on unexpected links in an email. When you are sent an email, review the link carefully. Make sure it tracks directly back to the company’s URL you are expecting it to. Scammers will often make a fake website that looks like a real one. So instead of clicking on a legitimate site like apple.com, you might be clicking on a bad one that doesn’t actually take you to the company you’re expecting, like apple.thisisfake.com, so study carefully before you click. Clicking on a bad link can install malware or a virus on your computer, lock it up so that thieves can try to get you to pay a ransom to unlock it or allow scammers to track your future keystrokes. Don’t click on a link if you’re unsure of the source.
Use a safe-browsing website to double-check your links. If you are still unsure, open up another browser window and navigate to one of the safe-browsing websites listed below, copy the link without clicking, and paste it into one of these sites to double-check whether it’s valid:
Don’t use free Wi-Fi in public places. When you do that, anyone nearby can tap into your computer and steal data from it. Use a virtual private network (VPN) instead or even your mobile device as a personal hotspot instead. See more detailed tips about this from the Federal Trade Commission.
Don’t announce travel plans on social media. Scammers are getting very good at social engineering, using what they know about you to trick you into giving away information.
Check your account often for suspicious activity, whether through the internet, phone or ATM.
If you suspect fraud or have any concern, contact NBC at (800) 590-2580 immediately or at any location.
And some additional tips from CISA. (This post is specifically for organizations, but these tips apply to anyone):
Set antivirus and antimalware programs to conduct regular scans.
Enable strong spam filters to prevent phishing emails from reaching end users.
Filter network traffic.
Update software.
Require multifactor authentication for your sign-ons. Multifactor authentication gives you another layer of protection, such as signing in with your password but then receiving an email or text with a code for one additional step before accessing your account.
We are here to help, answer questions and work with you to protect your money. NBC takes data breaches very seriously and uses a combination of safeguards to protect customer information—such as employee training, employee accountability, strict privacy policies, rigorous security standards, encryption and fraud monitoring and detection software. We’ll keep doing our part, and you can do yours, so you don’t ever become part of the increasing numbers* of fraud victims in the United States.
MORE RESOURCES
If you want to read more, here are some helpful resources for both the latest on cybersecurity attacks from Russia and on scams in general:
U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency’s Shields Up page with latest warnings and news
Finally, if you’re interested in digging deeper into the numbers, we found this data from the FTC interesting, from FTC news releases here and here. If you find yourself a victim, you definitely aren’t alone. In 2021,
5.7 million people filed reports and described losing more than $5.8 billion to fraud, an increase of more than $2.4 billion – a 70% jump – over the prior year. Imposter scams, when someone pretended to be a trusted person or business, led to losses of $2.3 billion.
Top categories of fraud https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2022/02/new-data-shows-ftc-received-28-million-fraud-reports-consumers, in order, included imposter scams, online shopping scams, prizes, sweepstakes, and lotteries; internet services; and business and job opportunities.
People ages 20-29 reported losing money to fraud more often than people ages 80 and over. While younger people lost money 41 percent of the time they experienced fraud, older adults lost money only 17 percent of the time. But when older people did lose money, they lost a median amount of $1,500, or three times the median amount younger people lost.
'Swipe left' before you fall for a romance scam
February 14, 2022
Since today is Valentine’s Day, let’s revisit this post about not-so-true love – the fake kind that can leave you financially devastated as well as heartbroken.
Unfortunately, as social media networks and online dating sites have become more popular, so has fraud capitalizing on the human need for connection
While online dating has brought together many legitimate couples, don’t fall for one of the fake profiles set up to lure you in with promises of romance in order to extort money from you.
The FBI issued a warning this month and noted that romance scams lead to higher financial losses for victims than other online crimes. In 2020, The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received more than 23,000 complaints classified as confidence and romance scams, with reported losses of more than $600 million, the FBI noted in a release on Feb. 11, 2022. The FTC estimated that people sent $547 million to online romance scammers alone last year, according to this report.
Thanks to the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission, we’ve compiled some tips to keep you – and your heart – from becoming one of these statistics.
At NBC we want all of our customers to be protected from scams and recommend the following these tips from the FBI, FTC and ABA to do so:
Research the person’s photo and profile using online searches to see if the material has been used elsewhere. Start with Google Image Search if you don’t know how to do this.
Go slow when starting a new romance and ask questions. Don’t let a scammer rush you. Talk to someone you trust about this person as well.
Only scammers ask you to pay by cryptocurrency, gift card or wire transfer. Do not send a reload, prepaid or gift card; don't wire money and don't send cryptocurrency to someone you met online. Last year, about one in four people used a gift card to send money to a romance scammer, and the most money reported lost was $139 million through payments made in cryptocurrency.
Beware if the individual seems too perfect or quickly asks you to leave a dating service or social media site to talk offline.
Beware if the individual attempts to isolate you from friends and family.
Beware if the individual promises to meet in person, but then always comes up with an excuse why he or she can’t. They might make plans to visit but then can’t come because of a traumatic event or a business deal gone sour. If you haven’t met the person after a few months, for whatever reason, you have good reason to be suspicious. Scammers often like to say they’re out of the country for business or military services.
Never send money to anyone you don’t know personally. Never wire money, put money on a gift or cash-reload card or send cash to an online love interest. You won’t get it back. Often, they request money to cover travel, medical or other emergencies, hotel bills, hospital bills for a child or another relative, visas or losses from a temporary financial setback.
Contact your bank (NBC’s customer service number is 800-590-2580) right away if you think you’ve sent money to a scammer.
Archived Post: Eligible families to start getting advance Child Tax Credit payments this week
Find out if you’re eligible and how much it is, and be wary of scams.
July 12, 2021
Normally, you would apply the entire tax credit when you file your tax return next year, but this year the government has increased the amount of the credit and is sending half of it out this year, divided into monthly payments between now and the end of the year – on the 15th of each month. The second half will go on your 2021 tax returns.
Families will receive their July 15 payment by direct deposit in the bank account currently on file with the IRS. If you’re not enrolled in direct deposit, you’ll receive a check. For most qualifying families, no action is needed to receive this benefit.
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 expanded this tax credit for tax year 2021 only. It will mean up to $3,600 for each children in the household ages 5 and under through the end of 2021 and up to $3,000 for children ages 6 through 17. The amount of the payment, or if you get one at all, depends on your income. Before 2021, the credit was worth up to $2,000 per eligible child.
To understand more about these payments and whether you are eligible, go to irs.gov/childtaxcredit2021. There you’ll find links to its Child Tax Credit Update Portal where you can log into your IRS account to manage these advance payments. (If you want to opt out of the monthly payments and apply the entire amount on your 2021 tax return, you can use this tool to do that, too.)
As always be alert for scams related to the tax credit. Read more from the IRS’ Taxpayer Advocate.
Archived Post: Don't fall for a scam from someone claiming to be a government representative
'Government imposter scams' represented about a third of the $1.2 billion in losses reported to the FTC in 2020.
March 5, 2021
We don’t think we can share this information enough: There are fraudsters from all over the world who want to separate you from your money, and they are constantly thinking of new ways to do it. So it’s up to the rest of us to be vigilant and aware and recognize their scams so you don’t fall for them.
So today, let’s talk about government imposter scams – the ones involving fraudsters pretending to be from a government agency like Social Security, the Internal Revenue Service, Medicare, etc., in an effort to trick victims into clicking on a link or handing over personal information.
The Federal Trade Commission and the American Bankers Association this week released an infographic highlighting the dangers of these types of scams, complete with tips. In 2020 alone, the Federal Trade Commission received reports on 498,000 imposter scams, one third of them involving someone posing as a government representative. Consumers lost money in nearly one in five of them, and reported losses totaled nearly $1.2 billion. Here’s a look at how to spot and stop such scams. Learn more at ftc.gov/imposters and aba.com/consumers.
Archived Post: Falling for a romance scam will give you an 'achy breaky heart'
Feb. 12, 2021
The Federal Trade Commission is having some fun this Valentine's Day with music puns about how romance scams "give love a bad name" or causing "achy breaky hearts" and movie puns describing them as "not love, actually" but the agency's advice is something everyone should consider before handing over money or personal information to a new online romance.
In 2020, people reported losing $304 million to romance scams, more than to any other fraud reported to the FTC. That number has increased four times since 2016, so there are too many people who are hoping for a love connection but end up getting cheated instead. We don't want that to happen to you, so be aware when you are talking to a potential love interest online.
According to the FTC, romance scammers create fake profiles on dating sites and mobile applications or contact their targets through popular social media sites. They'll be chatty with the targets and work hard to build up trust before making up a story to ask for money. They'll profess love quickly. Often they'll say they're living or traveling outside of the United States.
Don't fall for their smooth talk. Here are some things the FTC wants you to know:
If an online love interest you’ve never met in person asks you for money, that’s a scam no matter what story they tell you.
Never send money or gifts to anyone you haven’t met in person — even if they send you money first. Only scammers tell you to buy gift cards, wire money, or buy cryptocurrency. And once you send that money, you won’t get it back.
Talk to someone you trust about your new love interest, and pay attention if they’re concerned.
Contact your bank right away if you think you've sent money to a scammer. Call NBC customer service at (800) 590-2580 if you are worried or have wired money to a fraudulent person.
Report romance scams to the dating or social networking site, and to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Learn more about all the ways these romance scammers work so you don't get suckered in at ftc.gov/romancescams. Be safe this Valentine's Day and beyond, and stay aware.
Archived Post: Be wary of suspicious texts allegedly related to an NBC loan
Feb. 12, 2021
One of our employees got a suspicious text that her NBC loan had been renewed and also included her address with instructions to click on a link for more information. NBC will not send you a text to communicate about your loan or ask you to click on a link. This was clearly a fraudulent text fishing for personal information. If you see such a text, please do not click on it. If you receive such a text and have questions or concerns, call customer service at 800-590-2580.
Archived Post: An infographic for you: Watch out for imposter scams
Oct. 21, 2020
As Cybersecurity Awareness Month continues, let's talk today about imposter scams, where scammers are trying to separate you from your money.
After you read this infographic, check out these helpful links for more information.
Archived Post: Be wary of scams related to coronavirus
As you protect your health from exposure to Coronavirus, protect yourself from scams that try to take advantage of your fears about getting sick with COVID-19.
To trick you out of personal information and your money, scammers may:
Try to sell you fake products offering a cure.
Appeal to your sense of charity and ask you to donate to fake causes.
Compel you to click on fake websites or email attachments requesting secure login information.
Pretend to send emails or texts from a medical or health organization with attachments containing malware.
Impersonate medical supply companies with the supplies you need to prevent or protect infection.
Offer you bogus investment opportunities.
Don’t fall for any of these scams. Be as aware of these as you are of washing your hands, and make sure you are dealing with legitimate companies, organizations, websites and people.
We at NBC will never call you and ask for your username, account number, passwords and other security information over the phone. If you are unsure about any calls from us, please verify such requests by calling us back at your bank location or through customer service (800) 590-2580. You can also call us if you have a question about a possible scam.
Protect yourself
Here is a list of things you can do to keep yourself safe from scams, especially as more of us begin working from home and relying on electronic communication.
Don’t open unsolicited emails or click on links from people you don’t know.
Don’t open attachments in any email unless you are sure of the source.
Keep the anti-malware and anti-virus software on your computer up to date.
Do not reveal any personal or financial information, especially passwords, to anyone via email.
Watch for emails claiming to be from the CDC or experts saying that have information about the virus. For information about the Coronavirus, visit the CDC's Coronavirus website and the WHO's website.
Ignore online offers for vaccinations and ads proclaiming to prevent, treat or cure this infection. Ask yourself whether you would hear about it for the first time through an ad or sales pitch.
Don’t let anyone rush you into making a donation, and don’t give to people asking for donations in cash, by gift card or by wiring money. Research the sites asking you for one.
Be wary about online promotions that claim the stock of a publicly-traded company is going to jump because they have developed a way to prevent, detect or cure COVID-19.
If you’re working from home, secure your network and computer, follow your employer’s security practices, use strong passwords and dispose of sensitive information securely, such as by shredding.
Customers have called us to report that they are receiving suspicious and fraudulent texts asking to confirm whether they made a specific purchase. Texts today have NBC’s name in the text and mention a purchase at Walmart, but they are not coming from NBC: They are phishing texts attempting to get your credit card information. Please ignore them or call us at (800) 590-2580 with concerns.
NOTE: You will not receive any texts from us related to your debit card unless you have previously contacted us to set up text alerts. Legitimate texts related to fraudulent charges on your debit card will be from the number 20733 and not a full phone number.
Legitimate fraud alert phone calls from NBC will come from the phone number (800) 279-2674, and the number for cardholders to call back to verify the charge on your account is (877) 253-8964. You will need a case number, which will be left on your voicemail.
Archived Post: Be wary of scammers this tax season
Tips from the IRS can help you protect yourself
March 25, 2019
Now that tax season is here, it is easy to find examples of scammers pretending to be the IRS to take your money or your identity. Don’t fall victim to any of their tricks.
The IRS will initially contact you by mail and NOT by phone or email. But even then, if you are suspicious, contact the IRS directly by calling (800) 829-1040 or go to irs.gov.
Criminals will try to get your secure information any way they can think of, and it’s important to be wary.
Below are some of the most common scams seen by the IRS, according to this post on the IRS online newsroom:
Telephone scams. Criminals posing as IRS employees call to demand immediate payment of an alleged tax debt using a specific payment method such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. If you get such a call, hang up the phone. Generally, the IRS will first mail a bill to any taxpayer who owes taxes.
Scammers sometimes threaten to bring in local police, immigration officers or other law enforcement to have you arrested for not paying. The IRS cannot revoke your driver’s license, business license or immigration status, so if you get a call with such threats, hang up the phone.
Phishing emails. Criminals send you an email appearing to be from the IRS, complete with the IRS logo, and they’ll ask you to provide sensitive information or open an attachment. Do not offer this information or click on links in these emails. A common scam is sending taxpayers an email with an attachment that the email says is a “tax transcript” – a tax return summary. In the tax transcript email scam, the attachment sent contains malware that will infect your computer, so please don’t open it. The IRS wants you to know it would not send unsolicited emails or email a sensitive document. If you receive a suspicious email, forward it to phishing@irs.gov and then delete the original email.
Fake charity donation requests. Criminals set up fake charities and ask for donations, especially during natural disasters. Look for legitimate charities using the IRS Tax-Exempt Organization Search.
Know your rights as a taxpayer. The IRS will not call to demand immediate payment nor will it demand that you pay taxes without the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe. Also, if an IRS representative visits you, he or she will always offer you two forms of official credentials – a pocket commission with the IRS seal on it and an HSPD-12 card, according to this online IRS newsroom post. The FTC also tracks scams and has resources to help you protect yourself.
Archived Post: Protect yourself: New law makes it easier to freeze your credit
Oct. 5, 2018
A new federal law makes it easier for you to freeze and unfreeze your credit scores, a move that gives you greater control in protecting yourself from identity theft and fraud.
As of September, you can order a credit freeze on your account at no charge as well as remove the credit freeze more easily than before. To do so, you have to contact each of the nationwide credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. If you request a freeze online or by phone, the agency must place the freeze within one business day, the Federal Trade Commission reports. If you request that the credit freeze be removed, the agency must lift it within one hour. Mail requests take longer.
The act that led to these new rules, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act, developed in response to the Equifax hack last year, which affected more than 145 million Americans, but it also stems from similar breaches of financial data in recent years.
The act also increased the length of fraud alert watches on your credit from 90 days to one year, and it allows parents to request credit freezes for children younger than 16. A fraud alert lets a business know it must confirm with you before opening a new account or getting a new loan.
Credit freezes are now covered by Federal law, if something goes wrong, for example, if credit accounts are fraudulently accessed in anyway, consumers will be protected from any financial liability. A credit lock on the other hand is a contractual agreement between you and the credit reporting agency which is not as strong as having protections under the law. To freeze your credit, request fraud alerts and opt-out of pre-screened credit offers, you have to contact each credit bureau separately. Contact information for each, provided by the FTC, is:
For additional tools about how to protect your credit from identity theft, go online to the FTC’s IdentityTheft.gov. Read more and get answers to related questions in this blog post and this one, featuring FAQs.
Archived Post: Don’t fall for romance scam
Dec. 20, 2017
'Tis the season for romance as we look for someone with whom to share the holidays, but it’s also the season for romance scams, especially ones that start with online dating.
The best ways to protect yourself include the obvious, but they need to be repeated:
Do NOT give out your bank account numbers or information to anyone, EVER, especially someone you have only visited with online and haven’t yet met in person.
If someone you’re connecting with online asks you to wire money to them or open a joint bank account, be wary. Make sure you check them out thoroughly first and meet them in person.
We have systems in place to help protect you if someone gains access to your account but you could be liable if you give out authorization in the form of online credentials or account numbers. A broken heart is hard enough to fix, but don’t add identity theft and fraudulent charges to the list too.
Archived Post: Has anything changed since Equifax first reported its data breach?
Here are more tools for you to take charge of your credit in light of news that hackers accessed the personal information millions of Americans in a data breach at Equifax. October 13, 2017
As you know by now, that if you have a credit report, chances are high that your personal information was included in the Equifax data breach affecting more than 145 million Americans. You can read more about the initial breach on our blog, but we wanted to touch on this subject again with ways you can protect yourself and your identity.
You can still go to the special website set up by Equifax to find out: https://www.equifaxsecurity2017.com. While there, enroll in its free, one-year credit monitoring program, TrustedID Premier. The American Bankers Association (ABA), of which NBC Oklahoma is a member, recommends doing both.
And while Equifax is a credit bureau and NOT a bank, banks like NBC Oklahoma are often on the frontlines protecting you from fraud, especially when customers and banks work together: Banks use a combination of safeguards to protect your information, such as rigorous security standards, encryption systems, employee training and strict privacy policies, the ABA has noted.
In addition to using the tools and services Equifax has provided, here are some other things the ABA recommends that you do:
Monitor your credit reports. You can get a copy of your credit report – one free report from each of the credit bureaus once each year – at annualcreditreport.com.
Monitor your bank accounts for fraudulent transactions. Online and mobile banking tools are your friends. So is your banker. Alert us immediately if you see a problem or have a question. NBC’s customer service representatives can be reached at 1-800-590-2580, or you can visit or call any of our locations, found at nbc.bank.
Watch out for scams related to the breach. Be wary of emails that appear to come from Equifax regarding the breach. As Equifax has noted, it will never ask for confidential information such as a User ID and password in an email. If you get one like this, delete it immediately without responding or clicking on any links in it, Equifax noted.
Consider whether to take additional steps, either to freeze your credit or place a fraud alert on your credit reports. You’d have to do this at each of the three credit bureaus, Equifax, Transunion and Experian, separately (links below). This depends on your personal situation. As the ABA notes, if you’re applying for credit soon or think you might need quick credit in case of an emergency, a fraud alert is better. This puts a red flag on your credit report, which requires businesses to take additional steps like calling you to verify you’re applying for credit. A credit freeze is more severe and locks down your credit so that creditors can’t see it or issue you any credit; it also prevents an identity thief from seeing it. Sometimes there’s a cost to lifting it if you need credit.
To place a credit freeze or alert, you have to contact each of the credit bureaus separately:
Archived Post: How to protect yourself in the Equifax data breach
Are you one of the 143 million Americans whose information was exposed in the Equifax breach? September 8, 2017
You may have heard the news this week that a hack of Equifax, one of the three consumer credit reporting bureaus, exposed sensitive data of 143 million Americans. To find out if you are one of them, check this special website that Equifax has established in light of this news.
The data included names, Social Security Numbers, birth dates and addresses, some driver’s licenses, credit card numbers for about 209,000 people and credit dispute documents with additional information on 182,000 consumers. The breach happened between mid-May and the end of July. Although Equifax has found “no evidence of unauthorized activity” on its core consumer or commercial credit reporting databases, the amount of data exposed from other files managed by Equifax is alarming. “On a scale of 1 to 10 in terms of risk to customers, this is a 10,” said Aivivah Litan, a fraud analyst at Gartner, in this story in the New York Times. Although banks weren’t the target of this hack, the American Bankers Association is helping spread the word about what consumers should do and what Equifax is doing. Equifax is offering U.S. customers complimentary credit file monitoring and identity theft protection through its service called TrustedID Premier for one year. Equifax plans to send direct mail notices to those whose credit cards or dispute documents with identifying information were in the breach. You can also set up a fraud alert, security freeze or lock your credit files, although you would have to contact each credit reporting agency separately to freeze or lock your files. More information is available on the Equifax's FAQ page. And if you’d like more information about protecting yourself from fraud and identity theft, check out this page, where we’ve linked to many of the resources and reporting tools offered by the Federal Trade Commission and the FDIC.
We all rely on computers and the internet for everything from shopping and communicating to banking and bill-paying. The benefits of faster and more convenient cyber services for bank customers are clear, but it's important to be aware of risks as scammers continue to develop more sophisticated ways of separating you from your money. If they can, they'll take advantage of tax refunds, your erroneous clicks or information you unwittingly give in phone calls, texts and more. They'll pretend to be a representative from the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the health department, etc. So stay up to date on their latest tricks and be aware.
Common cyber-related crimes include identity theft, frauds, and scams. Identity theft involves a crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person's personal data to open fraudulent credit card accounts, charge existing credit card accounts, withdraw funds from deposit accounts, or obtain new loans. A victim's losses may include not only out-of-pocket financial losses but also substantial costs to restore credit history and to correct erroneous information in their credit reports.
In addition to identity theft, every year millions of people are victims of frauds and scams, which often start with an e-mail, text message, or phone message that appears to be from a legitimate, trusted organization. The message typically asks consumers to verify or update personal information. Similarly, criminals create bogus websites for such things as credit repair services in the hopes that consumers will enter personal information.
Even more recent are ransomware scams, where with one wrong click, fraudsters will lock your computer if you click on a bad link, and they won't unlock it unless you pay a ransom. This hits businesses particularly hard because it only takes one employee to click on a corrupted link to give these criminals access to your computer.
If you think you are a victim of a fraud or scam, contact your state, local or federal consumer protection agency. Also, a local law enforcement officer may be able to provide advice and assistance. By promptly reporting fraud, you improve your chances of recovering what you have lost and you help law enforcement. The agency you contact first may take action directly or refer you to another agency better positioned to protect you.
Violations of federal laws should be reported to the federal agency responsible for enforcement. Consumer complaints are used to document patterns of abuse, allowing the agency to take action against a company.
People who have no intention of delivering what is sold, who misrepresent items, send counterfeit goods or otherwise try to trick you out of your money are committing fraud. If you suspect fraud, there are some additional steps to take.
Contact the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
If the fraud involved mail or an interstate delivery service, contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It is illegal to use the mail to misrepresent or steal money.
The best protection against identity theft is to carefully protect your personal information. For example:
Do not share personal information over the phone, through the mail or over the internet unless you initiated the contact or know the person you are dealing with;
Be suspicious if someone contacts you unexpectedly online and asks for your personal information. It doesn’t matter how legitimate the e-mail or website may look. Only open e-mails that look like they are from people or organizations you know, and even then, be cautious if they look questionable. Be especially wary of fraudulent e-mails or websites that have typos or other obvious mistakes;
Don’t give out valuable personal information in response to unsolicited requests. Social Security numbers, financial account information and your driver’s license number are some of the details that should be kept confidential;
Shred old receipts, account statements and unused credit card offers;
Choose PINs and passwords that would be difficult to guess and avoid using easily identifiable information such as your mother’s maiden name, birth dates, the last four digits of your social security number or phone numbers;
Pay attention to billing cycles and account statements and contact your bank if you don’t receive a monthly bill or statement since identity thieves often divert account documentation;
Review account statements thoroughly to ensure all transactions are authorized;
Guard your mail from theft, promptly remove incoming mail, and do not leave bill payment envelopes in your mailbox with the flag up for pick up by mail carrier;
Obtain your free credit report annually and review your credit history to ensure it is accurate;
Use an updated security program to protect your computer; and
Be careful about where and how you conduct financial transactions, for example don’t use an unsecured Wi-Fi network because someone might be able to access the information you are transmitting or viewing.
There are numerous scams presented daily to consumers so you must always exercise caution when it comes to your personal and financial information. The following tips may help prevent you from becoming a fraud victim.
Be aware of incoming e-mail or text messages that ask you to click on a link because the link may install malware that allows thieves to spy on your computer and gain access to your information;
Be suspicious of any e-mail or phone requests to update or verify your personal information because a legitimate organization would not solicit updates in an unsecured manner for information it already has;
Confirm a message is legitimate by contacting the sender (it is best to look up the sender’s contact information yourself instead of using contact information in the message);
Assume any offer that seems too good to be true, is probably a fraud;
Be on guard against fraudulent checks, cashier’s checks, money orders, or electronic fund transfers sent to you with requests for you to wire back part of the money;
Be wary of unsolicited offers that require you to act fast;
Check your security settings on social network sites. Make sure they block out people who you don’t want seeing your page;
Research any “apps” before downloading and don’t assume an “app” is legitimate just because it resembles the name of your bank or other company you are familiar with;
Be leery of any offers that pressure you to send funds quickly by wire transfer or involve another party who insists on secrecy; and
Beware of Disaster-Related Financial Scams. Con artists take advantage of people after catastrophic events by claiming to be from legitimate charitable organizations when, in fact, they are attempting to steal money or valuable personal information.
Protect Your Account With Trusteer Rapport
NBC Oklahoma uses extra security for your account through Trusteer Rapport.
What is internet banking? Internet banking allows you to use a personal computer with an Internet connection to conduct your banking online.
What tools do I need in order to bank online? You'll need an Internet service provider, a modem (28,800 baud or higher is recommended), and Browser software which supports secure web browsing (encrypted using Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL).
Speaking of security, is the internet safe for online banking? Yes. This is a common concern with banking and commerce on the Internet. Data on the Internet is safeguarded by encryption as it moves between systems. Data residing on a system can only be accessed by using an authorized sign-on ID and Passcode. Any kind of breach in the security of our systems would be a serious business issue for the bank. Our success depends on our ability to manage these systems safely and to continue to earn your trust as our customer. Please be assured that we will take every measure possible to protect the financial information and resources you have entrusted to us. You can help safeguard your information and the banking systems by protecting your sign-on ID and pass code. A proper combination of your sign-on ID and pass code is the only way to get access into your account. Please be careful to keep this information secure.
What if NBC Online goes down? Will my payments be made? Will my transfers go through? If NBC Online and all of our backup systems were to go down, you can be comfortable that any transaction that you had already processed prior to the system going down will go through. If you were in the middle of a transaction and there is some question as to whether the system has received the request, please contact the bank to ensure your transaction request has been accepted.
How long does it take for a payment to reach my payee, and how soon are funds taken from my account?
Each payment made by NBC Online will be processed either by check or by electronic funds transfer. If the payment is made through electronic funds transfer, it will take a matter of hours for the payment to reach your payee. Payments made by check, however, will be delivered via the postal service. Delivery could take several days depending on where the payment is to be sent. The safest thing is to always schedule your payments at least seven business days ahead of the date they are due. This will ensure that the payment will be made and processed in time.
Bill payments are processed exactly as if you had processed the payment yourself. If the payment is made by an online check, the funds will be taken out of your account when your payee deposits the check and the item clears the bank. If the payment is made electronically, the funds are withdrawn the date the transaction is processed.
What type of accounts are included in NBC Online? You can access the following types of accounts: checking, savings, loan, CDs/investment.
Can I have more than one checking account linked to NBC Online? Yes, you can link all of your checking accounts to NBC Online.
How current is this information? All transactions and balance updates are performed once per day. So any transactions you perform today that change your balance (i.e. deposits, ATM withdrawals), will be reflected the following business day.
Should the payment date I give be the date the payment is actually due? No. You need to allow some time for the payment to reach your payee, so enter a date before the actual due date. Be sure to take into account that, although you can schedule a payment at any time, payments are actually initiated (sent to the payee) only on business days.
What happens if I don't have enough money in my account to cover a bill payment? If your account has sufficient overdraft protection to cover the payment, we'll draw against that. Otherwise, the payment will be returned for insufficient funds.
When and how are my payments delivered and how can I ensure that my payee receives my payment on the due date? When you schedule a payment, NBC Online warehouses the payment until it is time to process it. The time to process will vary depending on how the payment is to be made and how long it will take to get the payment to the payee.
Once the system has determined that it is time to process the payment, the payment is changed to a processing status. The payment is then processed by conducting an electronic funds transfer, or a check is produced and made payable to the payee from your account. The check is then sent to the payee via regular mail.
Since the system requires you to submit payment requests seven days in advance, this ensures there is sufficient lead time to process your request and get it to the payee by the date you specify.
Why does it take a few days to process payments? Although a number of your payees accept payments electronically, many do not. For those that do not accept electronic payments, we must send a check to that payee through the U.S. Mail. Once it is received by the payee, it may also take a day or so for that payee to process the check and post it to your account. Even for electronic payments, it may take two or three days for your payment to be posted. By allowing a few days for processing and delivery, we can guarantee that your bills are paid on time.
What should I do if a payee has not posted my payment? You need to allow a few days for your payee to process your payment. If your payee has not posted the payment to your account after a few days, send an online message to the Bill Payment Desk to inquire about the status of the payment. Be sure to provide the item's reference number. The reference number is displayed on the Pay Bills screen under the "Ref #" column. The payment will then be traced and a status response will be sent to you.
How can I prove payments and transfers were made? With each payment and transfer, you are given a reference number so you know we received it. In addition, payments and transfers will appear on your transaction register so you can see they posted. You'll also continue to receive your monthly statement in the mail from your payee.
Will I be charged the monthly service fee even if I don't make any payments? Yes, the monthly service fee is charged just like your telephone bill or cable bill - whether you use the service or not.
How will the payments be made? We use two methods of payment:
Electronic - NBC Online sends an electronic credit to your payee and electronically debits your checking account on your scheduled payment date.
Laser Draft - looks and acts just like one of your personal checks.
Can I choose the method of payment? No. NBC Online will process the payment electronically if possible. If not, then an Online Check is produced. Over time, some payees which could not accept electronic payment may be able to. They will then begin being paid electronically.
Does NBC Online work with other accounting software (i.e., Quicken®, Quickbooks®, Money®)? Absolutely. NBC Online was designed to be highly compatible with these popular software products. You can access the export capability from the Reports screen.
Is any of my personal information stored in the Internet Banking product? Yes, the Internet Banking product stores your User ID, password and user preferences. If you keep a stock portfolio, that information is also stored.
Can I adjust my view settings so that I can see my account in different ways? The system will automatically show the current month's transactions and information. However, by selecting User Preferences, you can choose dates that you need to see. You can view your accounts by date, check number, payee, amount or balance in ascending or descending order.
How can I download transaction history? Internet banking supports downloads to Quicken™, Microsoft Money™ or as a comma-delimited text file.
When can I use Internet Banking services? With Internet Banking, you have access to your account information 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
How do I access Internet Banking? You must first complete the Internet Banking registration form (click on the button to "enroll a person" or "enroll a business" and follow the prompts to submit it to us. Once your registration is received we will process your request. You must have an existing checking, savings or loan account before banking online.
What happens if I forget or lose my password? Just call us at 1-800-590-2580 and we will take you through the steps needed to get back into the system immediately.
Bill Pay FAQs
What is bill pay? The bank will send payments to the payees you designate. You can use this method to pay bills, send money to individuals, etc. You can use this method to pay anyone in the 50 United States and its territories who can accept a check – individuals, charge accounts, utilities, auto loans, professionals or services. However, tax payments (such as federal, state and local) and court-directed payments (such as alimony and child support) cannot be processed through our online bill payment system.
Is it possible to schedule recurring payments? Yes. You can schedule weekly, semi-monthly and monthly recurring payments. The final payment of a recurring payment scheme is designated by a 'Final Payment Date.'
How do I register for electronic bill payment? Bill Payment registration is easy! The first time you attempt to access the bill payment section of Internet Banking, you will be prompted to begin online registration. You are first requested to read and accept the authorization disclosure. Failure to accept the disclosure terms prevents the registration process from proceeding.
Once you agree to the disclosure, you complete the online registration form. The registration form is then forwarded to us for review. We are responsible for checking the information on the form and for assigning you a payment plan.
When I add a new payee to my bill payment account, or change my account number, how quickly will the change take place? When you update the information for the bill payment account, the changes are implemented virtually instantaneously.
Can I receive a summary of my bill payments sorted by category or payee? Yes. Reports can be generated for online viewing, or they can be downloaded and saved.
Can I use electronic bill payment with all my accounts? No, only checking accounts can be used for bill payment purposes.
When can I start using electronic bill payment? You can begin bill payment once you have received confirmation that your registration has been processed.
When is bill payment available? You can schedule payments 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Are my bill payment transactions reflected as Internet Banking transactions? All bill payment transactions become part of the Internet Banking transaction history and show up in personal financial management applications when the transaction history is downloaded.
How do I add new payees? You can add payees by accessing the Add Payee screen. New payees will be added to the payee list immediately.
Can bill payment be used when I am out of the country? Bill payment provides you with peace of mind when you are traveling for an extended period of time. All you need is access to the Internet with a secure browser and you can pay your bills while out of the country. Payees must be located within the 50 United States and Territories.
Is there a limit to the number of bill payment accounts I can set up? No. You may use any of your checking accounts that are registered for online banking.
Can I pay my bills on the weekend? You can set up your payments during the weekend. However, the system will prohibit you from scheduling a single payment and the first of a recurring payment on the same weekend. This is because payments scheduled for the weekend are always processed on the Friday before. Therefore, when scheduling payments on a weekend, the first day for which you can schedule payments (single or recurring) is the first business day following the weekend. Generally, single or recurring payments that fall on a Saturday, Sunday or bank holiday are processed on the previous business day and are debited from your account within two business days. If a bank holiday falls on either a Friday or Monday, the debit will occur within three days.
If I schedule multiple bill payments for a single day, how will my account be debited – as a lump sum or separately? Each bill payment is debited separately.
Are all debits and credits sent out at the same time? Yes, they are all sent out at the same time.
How is my account debited? Your account is debited via ACH – Automated Clearing House is a funds transfer system which provides for the interbank clearing of electronic entries for participating financial institutions.
If I make an error in selecting an electronic payee and it results in a late fee, am I responsible for the charges? If you select an electronic payee with an address that is different from that indicated on the payment coupon, then you are responsible for the late fee. You always have the option to manually enter a different address for a payee. If you select an electronic payee with the address that matches that indicated on the payment coupon, and Metavante routes the payment incorrectly, then Metavante data services will take responsibility for the late fee.
How do I place a 'stop payment' on a bill payment? A payment may be edited or deleted any time before the "process date." Payments that have been remitted electronically cannot be stopped.
FAQS about the new [dot]BANK domain name extension*
What is a [dot]BANK (.bank) domain extension? Such a domain name indicates you have reached the website of a verified member of the global banking community; only such institutions are eligible to register a [dot]BANK extension.
Why does it matter that NBC is changing to NBC.bank? In short, this is going to make banking more secure for you. This domain, unlike other “generic top-level domains” in the same category (such as the more traditional [dot]COM, [dot]ORG or [dot]edu (.com, .org, .edu), has enhanced security requirements. These extensions are also more easily recognized because with a [dot]bank extension, you know for sure you have landed on the right website.
What are some of these security requirements and reasons for them? > To scratch the surface of this issue, these requirements are complex and different groups involved in the registration process will provide them, but they include: Verification of eligible financial institutions’ charter/licenses for regulated entities so that only legitimate entities are awarded domain names in the first place. These are verified during initial registration and at each renewal or at least every two years, whichever comes first. > Domain name system security extensions so that Internet users land on legitimate websites and aren’t misdirected to malicious ones. For institutions using a [dot]bank domain for email, authentication of institutions’ emails and verification that any change to registration data is made only by authorized users. > Strong encryption. > Prohibition of privacy registration to ensure full disclosure of registration information.
Specifically, who has [dot]BANK domains and who doesn’t? Banks, trusts, thrifts, cooperatives, etc., that are chartered and supervised by a government regulatory authority ARE eligible. Bank holding companies and credit unions/associations (such as farm credit associations) in the United States DO NOT meet the eligibility requirements for such a domain name.
What is the verification process to validate eligibility for the secure [dot]BANK extension? Banks who have this extension have gone through: > A security check > Verification of their organization, jurisdiction and banking credentials > Verification of their domain name, telephone number, employment of the listed contact and the contact’s authority.
What if I accidentally type in NBC Oklahoma’s old email address instead of nbc.bank? For at least a year, you will automatically be redirected to the proper new website.
Will the change to a new name affect my accounts? No. Your account information continues to be secure, and NBC Oklahoma will continue to strive to provide outstanding service for our customers and add new features for you as they become available.
* To read more, go online to ftld.com. FTLD Registry Services, LLC, was founded by leaders in the financial services community and was granted the right to operate [dot]BANK and dot[INSURANCE] in 2014. FTLD is a coalition of banks, insurance companies and financial services trade associations, including the American Bankers Association, that formed to oversee these new domain names. Only approved by FTLD can issue these names.
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