Important Reminder

Illini State Bank will never contact you via telephone, text message or email asking for personal information including any account information, passwords or debit card PIN numbers. If you receive a call of this nature, do not give any information and contact your local branch immediately.

Fraud has become part of our everyday vocabulary.You probably heard many variations of fraud ranging from identity theft, online fraud, such as phishing and pharming, to offline fraud,including, phone solicitations, credit card, print fraud, check scams,and mail fraud. You can help protect your personal information and accounts by using caution when providing confidential information.Also, by keeping yourself updated on the latest fraud alerts, you can help prevent yourself from becoming a victim.

HOW SCAMMERS OBTAIN YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

Many scammers randomly generate email addresses - That's why you may have received fraudulent emails that appear to be from banks you do not have an account with. They also purchase mailing lists; obtain email addresses online from Web pages, chat rooms, online auctions, and directories or from illegitimate sources.

Online Fraud

Phishing:

Phishers use emails that are fraudulent or pop-up Web pages that appear legitimate and are designed to deceive you into sharing account or personal information.

Pharming:

Pharming occurs when you type in a Web address and it redirects you to a fraudulent Web site without your knowledge or consent. The Web site will try and look similar to the legitimate site in hopes of capturing your confidential information.

Online Fraud

• Look beyond the logo. To make fraudulent emails or Web sites appear real, scammers often include actual logos and images of legitimate companies. They also convey a sense of urgency, stating that if you fail to provide, update, or verify your personal or account information, access to your accounts will be suspended. It's important that you look beyond the logo and not give out your information.
• Use the most recent version of your web browser. Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome all have filters in place to seek out possible phishing sites.
• Use your spam filter. Many email services now have spam filters that minimize the amount of spam you receive. The filters can help you minimize the number of fraudulent emails in your inbox.
• Check for passmark pictures and phrases you chose when setting up your accounts. Phishing sites do not have access to these security measures and when you see the picture or phrase you can be assured that you are at the site you intended.
• Type, don't click. Even if you do open a suspicious email, don't click on any links. By clicking on the links, you could unknowingly download a virus or spyware to your computer.Even if you think the email is legitimate, type Web addresses into your browser instead of clicking on links. If the email is from an institution you do business with, use a bookmark that you've already created to visit the company's Web site.
• Change your online passwords often. The rule of thumb is to change your password every 30 to 60 days. Be creative with your passwords – stay away from obvious passwords like your zip code, year of birth, or sensitive information such as your mother's maiden name or your Social Security Number. Include symbols and/ or upper and lower case letters so passwords can't be easily intercepted,i.e.,%Eq?St.
• Update your anti-virus and anti-spam software. By keeping anti-virus and anti-spam software up to date on your computers, you make it more difficult for scammers to access your personal and account information. You can purchase anti-virus and anti-spyware software at major retail stores, as well as on the Internet.
• Delete emails from unknown senders with nonsensical subject lines.

Offline Fraud

Credit and Debit Card Fraud

Debit Card and Credit Card fraud can occur when someone takes your card and uses it without your consent. It can also happen when the card is safely in your possession.

To report lost or stolen debit cards 24 hours a day call 1-800-383-8000

To report lost or stolen credit cards 24 hours a day call 1-800-367-7576

For other questions on Illini State Bank cards, contact us at 1-815-442-8211 during normal business hours.

Credit Card Fraud

• Sign your cards immediately once they arrive in the mail.
• Memorize your PIN and don't write it on anything, especially something in your wallet.
• Don't enter your card online unless you're on a secure site. Don't send your credit card number in the mail.
• Keep a record of all your account numbers, expiration dates, and contact information for each issuer. This will come in handy if your wallet is lost or stolen.
• Report a lost or stolen card right away.Quick action will minimize potential loss and liability.
• Save your receipts to compare against your billing statement. When discarding receipts, tear them up or shred them.
• Monitor your statements monthly, making sure you recognize all charges. If you see any suspicious transactions, contact your bank immediately.
• Carefully review receipts for voided transactions and be sure they do not post to your account.
• Destroy your carbons. Do not leave them behind without tearing them up.
• Don't leave your purse, wallet, cards or receipts unattended. Always keep them secure or in your sight.
• Only carry cards that you need, leaving others in a safe place at home.
• Don't give out your account number unless you know and trust the company.
• In lieu of a signature on your credit card, write "verify signature on driver's license."
• Shield your hand from view of others when entering your PIN at POS/ATMs.
• To report lost stolen MasterCard CREDIT cards 24 hours a day, call 1-800-367-7576.
• To report lost or stolen MasterCard DEBIT credit cards 24 hours a day, call 1-800-383-8000.

For other questions related to your Illini State Bank credit and debit cards, contact us at 1-815-442-8211 during regular business hours.

Mail Fraud

Mail fraud occurs when scammers intercept your mail illegally or when you receive unrealistic offers.

• Shred documents containing your personal and financial information before placing them in the trash.

Report any unauthorized transactions to 1-815-442-8211 immediately

Telephone Solicitations

Scammers will attempt to randomly call people with hopes to lure them with cash prizes or gifts in exchange for account or personal information. Be wary of telephone scammers. If you receive a call from someone asking for personal and account information, call the company back using a phone number you know is legitimate. Here are some examples of recent fraudulent telephone activities:

• "Gift of $10,000 cash." The caller tells clients that they've won a gift of $10,000. Clients are asked to confirm their account and routing numbers so that the money can be transferred to their accounts by wire.
• "Verify Possible Fraudulent Card Information" Clients receive a voice mail and are asked to verify possible fraudulent activities on their cards. The voice mail includes bogus phone numbers for clients to call.
• Register your home and cellular phone numbers with the Federal Do Not Call Registry at 1-888-382-1222 to prohibit telemarketers from calling you.
• Use caution when disclosing personal information.

Print Fraud

Some scammers use local and community newspapers to publish fraudulent advertisements that use the Bank logo. These ads offer special rates for debt consolidation, small businesses and loans for mortgages. Scammers use fraudulent contact information such as mailing addresses, phone and fax numbers and claim to be "third-party consultants." When unsuspecting consumers contact the scammers, the callers are asked to provide their personal and account information. Scammers then tell applicants that their loans have been approved but that they first need to make an advance payment or deposit before the loans can be advanced by wire transfer.

• Do your homework. If you see an advertisement for a loan or mortgage, make sure that it is legitimate. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Check out the source through the Better Business Bureau.

Check Scams

Scammers may deceive clients into responding to a legitimate online or newspaper advertisement or may victimize clients by paying for goods with a stolen or counterfeit check for more than the agreed upon amount. The clients are then asked to return the overpayment either by a wire transfer or an official check.

• Use Direct Deposit for paychecks, Social Security payments and other regular deposits.
• Be aware of fake check scams that promise easy money for working at home, winning sweepstakes or depositing checks from foreign countries.
• Do not leave your checkbook unattended.
• Know who you are doing business with.
• Report lost or stolen checks immediately to Illini State Bank 1-815-442-8211.
• Transfer any compromised accounts to new Illini State Bank accounts and report the incident to these check verification companies:

Telecheck 1-800-710-9898 Certegy 1-800-770-3792

Identity Theft

Identity theft is the unlawful act of capturing, transferring, and/or using one or more pieces of another person's personal identifying information (including, but not limited to, name, address, driver's license, date of birth, Social Security number, account information, account login credentials, or family identifiers) and using or attempting to use that information to establish or take over a credit, deposit, or other financial accounts in that person's name. Identity theft falls into one of two categories:

1. True name fraud: Establishing (or attempting to establish) an account(s) using another person's identity.
2. Account takeover: Establishing (or attempting to establish) control of an existing account(s) without authority of the account holder. Account takeover does not solely mean the posting of unauthorized transactions against and existing account, but also forged-maker signatures, counterfeiting, and credit card misuse.

• • Don't include your Social Security Number or driver's license number on sensitive documents.
  • Don't leave incoming mail lying around.
  • Drop your mail in an official postal mailbox.
  • Shred or destroy any junk mail before you throw it away.
  • Don't respond to unsolicited requests for personal or account information.
  • Use a safe deposit box to protect important documents.
  • Review your credit report at least once a year.
  • For more information about ordering free credit reports, go to the special Web site established by the three credit bureaus at annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.

HOW TO IDENTIFY FRAUD

With Online Banking you can view your transactions 24/7. By keeping on top of your transactions, you can identify any suspicious activity.

Tips on how to help identify fraud:

• Monitor your bank statements monthly.
• Review your credit report at least once a year.
• For more information about ordering free credit reports, go to the special Web site established by the three credit bureaus at annual credit report.com

For more information on how to protect yourself from identity theft and the steps you can take to safeguard your computers and personal information, review the online educational tool on FDIC's Web site.

Protecting Your Computer and Online Accounts

Protect your computer like you protect your checkbook. The following tips will help you protect your computer and your online accounts:

• Be cognizant of your surroundings when using a public computer or working on a wireless network.
• Keep your online accounts active – such as Online Banking with Bill Pay – to watch for any suspicious transactions.
• Help protect your computer and your accounts by installing anti-spyware on your computer. Anti-spyware can help prevent the collection of your personal and account information without your knowledge.
• Update your antivirus software regularly to help protect your computer against viruses and other harmful computer codes.
• Stay up-to-date on the latest online security concerns such as viruses, keyloggers, and trojan horses. These destructive software programs can often appear to be authentic, but can result in damage to your computer.

ILLINI STATE BANK CLIENT COMMITMENT

We're committed to keeping your accounts safe from unauthorized access and your identity confidential. Illini State Bank will never send emails asking clients to provide, update, or verify their personal or account information, such as passwords, Social Security Numbers, PINs, credit or Check Card numbers, or other confidential information. If you believe you have provided personal or account information in response to a fraudulent email, Web site, or phone call, immediately contact an Illini State Bank representative at 1-815-442-8211.