As part of Monterey County Bank’s on-going efforts to protect and secure customer information, the following resources have been provided to help educate our customers on information security and identity theft prevention. We encourage you to take a moment to review these helpful guides to ensure you are taking proper steps to help protect your information or address identity theft and fraud.
Note: PDF documents will open in a new window.
FDIC Consumer News provides practical guidance on how to become a smarter, safer user of financial services. Issues and selected articles offer helpful hints, quick tips and common–sense strategies to protect and stretch your hard-earned dollars.
We encourage you to visit and/or subscribe to FDIC Consumer News to stay up-to-date on the latest information.
Visit: https://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/news/index.html
[05/29/2019] The Department of Business Oversight (DBO) has been notified of a website, FDIConnect.com, that advertises itself as a bank-deposit broker that can obtain higher interest rates on bank deposits for consumers. FDIConnect.com is not licensed as a bank and is not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Further, FDIConnect.com should not be confused with FDICconnect.gov, the official FDIC channel for FDIC-insured institutions. The DBO notes that the choice of lettering in the name of the business and its advertising could be confusing.
The DBO urges consumers to exercise caution before responding to any website seeking deposits or promoting savings accounts or other offers. To check whether a financial service provider is licensed in California, or to file a complaint, go to the DBO website at www.dbo.ca.gov or call 1-866-275-2677. [Source]
Protecting your account and your personal information is a top priority for Monterey County Bank. In light of several recent security breaches involving various merchant retailers and vendors, our staff continues to work diligently to protect our clients and ensure your information is secure.
Monterey County Bank has an established relationship with Visa and MasterCard to receive ongoing alerts for any of our clients should card information be reported as compromised during a security breach. Bank staff members will make every effort to contact our cardholders who may have been compromised. For your security and as a pre-caution, we may order you a new card and cancel the existing card. If you have been contacted by a bank representative and continue to notice suspicious activity on your account, please contact your local branch as soon as possible for further action.
If you have not been contacted by your bank or card company, it is still strongly recommended that you take any and all steps to protect yourself.
Customers who have provided personal information or used a credit and/or debit card at any location where a data security breach has been identified should take the following steps to protect their accounts:
♦ Report the incident to the card issuer as quickly as possible.
♦ Report using toll-free numbers and 24-hour service that many companies have established to deal with such emergencies.
♦ Request your card issuer close your compromised account number and reissue you a new card with a different number.
♦ Monitor your account activity and review account statements carefully after the information loss.
♦ If any unauthorized charges appear, call the card issuer immediately. • Follow up with a hard copy letter describing each questionable charge.
♦ Report the compromise of this information to your bank as quickly as possible.
♦ Request your bank close the compromised account and re-open a like account with a different number.
If you believe your personal information (such as your name, address, and Social Security number) has been used fraudulently, contact the three major credit reporting agencies and do the following:
♦ Request that the agencies place a fraud alert and a victim's statement in your file.
♦ Request a free copy of your credit report to check whether any accounts were opened without your consent.
♦ Request that the agencies remove inquires and/or fraudulent accounts stemming from the theft.
Access the FTC: Identity Theft - What To Do Right Away [PDF] checklist for step by step actions to address Identity Theft.
To Order a Credit Reportor Report Fraud
Visit:www.experian.com
Visit:www.equifax.com
Visit:www.transunion.com
To Order Your FREE Annual Credit ReportVisit: www.annualcreditreport.com OR call: 1-(877)-FACTACT [322-8228]
For information on the security features Monterey County Bank has implemented for your protection, please review our Security Statement.
Monterey County Bank takes your account security and privacy very seriously, and although the Bank does not routinely monitor customer accounts for unauthorized activities, we will promptly investigate any improper charges or breaches of your privacy which you bring to our attention, or which are referred to us by a governing agency.
As a reminder, no Bank employee or any company affiliated with the Bank will contact you via email or by phone requesting your Internet Banking log in information. If you are contacted or received communication from anyone requesting that information, please do not release any personal identifying information and contact the Bank immediately.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact one of our local branches to speak with a bank representative.
This page revised as of: 2024.0123