Fraud & ID Theft Prevention Tips

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How We Protect Your Online Security

The security of your financial information is one of Evergreen Bank Group's most important responsibilities. We maintain our Internet banking platform using stringent information security guidelines and use many lines of defense to protect your account information. From authentication, SSL, encryption software, high-end firewalls, and automatic log off, your information is always safe and secure.

  • Authentication ensures that you, the legitimate user is communicating with us and not a fraudster who does not have authority to access your online accounts.
  • SSL stands for "Secure Socket Layer." This technology allows users to establish sessions with secure Internet sites, meaning they have minimal risk of external violation. Once inside the Internet Banking site, our use of SSL technology keeps you and your account information secure. Only browsers supporting the SSL security protocol with 128-bit encryption can be used to log on to our system.
  • Encryption turns words and phrases into coded language. All of your online activities during an Internet banking session become a string of unrecognizable numbers before entering the Internet. We employ the strongest forms of cryptography that are commercially available for use over the Internet, so your account information will read as gibberish to everyone but you and our financial institution.
  • High-end firewalls protect our computer systems interacting with the Internet against unauthorized access by outside individuals or networks.
  • Automatic log off is done automatically after 10 minutes of inactivity during an Internet banking session. So, if you forget to log off after your online session, we will do this for you to prevent anyone else from accessing your account.
  • We take numerous steps to keep your account information secure. However, you must take precautions as well.
  • Choose a good passcode - Your online passcode, along with your access ID, authenticate your identity when accessing online accounts. You should carefully select a passcode that is difficult to guess and not use personal information or a word that can be found in the dictionary.
  • Keep your passcode safe - Even the best passcode is worthless if it's written on a note attached to your computer or kept in your checkbook. Memorize your passcode and never tell it to anyone.
  • Change your passcode regularly. For your protection, we require you to change your passcode every 60 days.
  • Remember to log off properly - You may not always be at your own computer when banking online. Therefore, it's important to log off using the "log off" link at the top of each Internet banking page. If you forget to do so, the system automatically signs you off after 10 minutes of inactivity.

If you need any assistance, please contact your local Evergreen Bank Group branch office.

Fraud Prevention Service

In our continuing efforts to keep your accounts secure, Evergreen Bank Group has an alert system for potential fraud. 

Here's how it works:

  1. When potential fraud is detected, you will receive an automatic email notification, with the option to reply with "fraud" or "no fraud".
  2. One minute after the email, you will receive a text alert, which also has the "fraud" or "no fraud" option.
  3. If there is no response received, you will then receive automatic phone calls to confirm or deny fraud. The call will also give the option of speaking to a fraud analyst.

REMEMBER – our messages will NEVER ask for your PIN or account number.

How to Protect Yourself from Online Fraud

The increased sophistication and rapid growth of online fraud continues to be a challenge. These scams appear in many forms, especially fraudulent emails and Web site, spyware and viruses, and pop-up advertisements.

Fraudulent Emails and Websites

This particular type of fraud occurs when someone poses as a legitimate company to obtain personal data, such as account numbers, and then makes transactions with this information illegally. A common form of this scam is called "phishing". Phishing refers to cyber-criminals who attempt to gather sensitive personal information from consumers through emails and/or through imitations of legitimate Web sites. To combat phishing, please remember that Evergreen Bank Group will never ask for sensitive information from you via e-mail (ex. Social security number, access ID, passcode or account number, or ATM/debit card number and PIN).

Spyware and Viruses

Spyware and viruses are destructive programs loaded on your computer without your permission or knowledge. Spyware appears as a legitimate application on your computer but actually monitors your activity and collects sensitive information. Viruses are harmful programs spread through the Internet that can compromise the security of your computer. Maintaining up-to-date anti-spyware and virus protection software and firewalls help avoid these risks.

Pop-Up Advertisements

Pop-ups appear in a separate browser window and, when clicked, can download harmful spyware or adware to your computer. While some make legitimate offers, many pop-ups are attempts to obtain your sensitive information. Evergreen Bank Group will never ask you to verify personal financial information in pop-up advertisement.

Generative Artificial Intelligence to Facilitate Financial Fraud

The FBI is warning the public that criminals exploit generative artificial intelligence (AI) to commit fraud on a larger scale which increases the believability of their schemes. Generative AI reduces the time and effort criminals must expend to deceive their targets. Generative AI takes what it has learned from examples input by a user and synthesizes something entirely new based on that information. These tools assist with content creation and can correct for human errors that might otherwise serve as warning signs of fraud. The creation or distribution of synthetic content is not inherently illegal; however, synthetic content can be used to facilitate crimes, such as fraud and extortion.1 Since it can be difficult to identify when content is AI-generated, the FBI is providing the following examples of how criminals may use generative AI in their fraud schemes to increase public recognition and scrutiny.

AI-Generated Text

Criminals use AI-generated text to appear believable to a reader in furtherance of social engineering,2 spear phishing,3 and financial fraud schemes such as romance, investment, and other confidence schemes or to overcome common indicators of fraud schemes.

  • Criminals use generative AI to create voluminous fictitious social media profiles used to trick victims into sending money.
  • Criminals create messages to send to victims faster allowing them to reach a wider audience with believable content.
  • Criminal use generative AI tools to assist with language translations to limit grammatical or spelling errors for foreign criminal actors targeting US victims.
  • Criminals generate content for fraudulent websites for cryptocurrency investment fraud and other investment schemes.
  • Criminals embed AI-powered chatbots in fraudulent websites to prompt victims to click on malicious links.

AI-Generated Images

Criminals use AI-generated images to create believable social media profile photos, identification documents, and other images in support of their fraud schemes.

  • Criminals create realistic images for fictitious social media profiles in social engineering, spear phishing, romance schemes, confidence fraud, and investment fraud.
  • Criminals generate fraudulent identification documents, such as fake driver's licenses or credentials (law enforcement, government, or banking) for identity fraud and impersonation schemes.
  • Criminals use generative AI to produce photos to share with victims in private communications to convince victims they are speaking to a real person.
  • Criminals use generative AI tools to create images of celebrities or social media personas promoting counterfeit products or non-delivery schemes.4
  • Criminals use generative AI tools to create images of natural disaster or global conflict to elicit donations to fraudulent charities.
  • Criminals use generative AI tools to create images used in market manipulation schemes.
  • Criminals use generative AI tools to create pornographic photos of a victim to demand payment in sextortion schemes.

AI-Generated Audio, aka Vocal Cloning

Criminals can use AI-generated audio to impersonate well-known, public figures or personal relations to elicit payments.

  • Criminals generate short audio clips containing a loved one's voice to impersonate a close relative in a crisis situation, asking for immediate financial assistance or demanding a ransom.
  • Criminals obtain access to bank accounts using AI-generated audio clips of individuals and impersonating them.

AI-Generated Videos

Criminals use AI-generated videos to create believable depictions of public figures to bolster their fraud schemes.

  • Criminals generate videos for real time video chats with alleged company executives, law enforcement, or other authority figures.
  • Criminals create videos for private communications to "prove" the online contact is a "real person."
  • Criminals use generative AI tools to create videos for fictitious or misleading promotional materials for investment fraud schemes.

Tips to protect yourself

  • Create a secret word or phrase with your family to verify their identity.
  • Look for subtle imperfections in images and videos, such as distorted hands or feet, unrealistic teeth or eyes, indistinct or irregular faces, unrealistic accessories such as glasses or jewelry, inaccurate shadows, watermarks, lag time, voice matching, and unrealistic movements.
  • Listen closely to the tone and word choice to distinguish between a legitimate phone call from a loved one and an AI-generated vocal cloning.
  • If possible, limit online content of your image or voice, make social media accounts private, and limit followers to people you know to minimize fraudsters' capabilities to use generative AI software to create fraudulent identities for social engineering.
  • Verify the identity of the person calling you by hanging up the phone, researching the contact of the bank or organization purporting to call you, and call the phone number directly.
  • Never share sensitive information with people you have met only online or over the phone.
  • Do not send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or other assets to people you do not know or have met only online or over the phone.

If you believe you have been a victim of a financial fraud scheme, please file a report with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. If possible, include the following:

  • Identifying information about the individuals including name, phone number, address, and email address.
  • Financial transaction information such as the date, type of payment, amount, account numbers involved, the name and address of the receiving financial institution, and receiving cryptocurrency addresses.
  • Describe your interaction with the individual, including how contact was initiated, such as the type of communication, purpose of the request for money, how you were told or instructed to make payment, what information you provided to the scammer, and any other details pertinent to your complaint.

1Synthetic content refers to the class of media generated or manipulated by machine-learning-based techniques. 

2Social engineering is the act of obtaining or attempting to obtain otherwise secure data by conning an individual into revealing secure information. 

3Spear phishing is a directed attempt to trick a specific user or group of users into clicking on a malicious link or opening an attachment in an email that incorporates information intended to increase the chance of success. 

4Non-delivery scams occur when payment is sent, and goods or services are never received, or are of lesser quality. 

Helpful Tips to Protect You

While online banking is safe, as a general rule you should always be careful about giving out your personal financial information over the Internet. Review the following tips to protect your personal information while using the Internet.

  • Regularly log into your online accounts to verify that your bank, credit, and debit card statements and transactions are legitimate.
  • Be suspicious of any e-mail with urgent requests for personal financial information.
  • If you receive an unsolicited e-mail from any source asking you to click on a link to visit a site and input personal data, be very wary of it.
  • Be cautious about opening any attachments or downloading any files from e-mails, regardless of who sent them.
  • Instead of clicking on links in emails, type in the URL that you're familiar with, such as www.evergreenbankgroup.com, or select the Web address saved in your browser's "Favorites".
  • If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is and should be avoided.
  • If you have any doubts about the validity of an email, contact the sender using a telephone number you know to be genuine.
  • Before you initiate an online transaction, make sure your personal information is protected by looking for indicators that the site is secure. URLs for secure sites typically begin with "https" instead of "http" and display a lock in the lower right corner of your browser.
  • Use anti-virus software and keep it up-to-date.
  • Make sure you have applied the latest security patches for your computer. Most software providers, like Microsoft, offer free security patches.
  • If you have broad-band Internet access, such as cable modem or DSL, make sure that you have a firewall.

Other Resource Websites

FTC Identity Theft Website - The Federal Trade Commission web site has information for consumers and businesses on how to Deter, Detect, and Defend against identity theft. The website also includes details on how an active duty military person can place an "Active Duty Alert" on their credit report and how you to file an identity theft complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

Go to https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/

Annual Credit Report - You are allowed one free credit report every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. You may request this report via their website, phone or mail. See details on the Annual Credit Report website.

Go to https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action

Anti-Phishing Website - Find consumer advice on how to avoid phishing scams, what to do if you have given out your personal financial information, how to report phishing and also browse the phishing archives.

Go to https://apwg.org/

FBI Website - The Federal Bureau of Investigations website has many features which include the "Be Crime Smart" section on e-scams, warnings, reporting internet crime, common fraud schemes and other tips and suggestions.

Go to https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety

Digital Defense Identity Theft Website - Evergreen Bank Group is pleased to provide the Digital Defense module to our customers to help combat the fastest-growing crime in the world today - Identity theft. Digital Defense provides tips, training, education and awareness on identity theft prevention techniques when using the internet and other electronic means. Furthermore, this service includes information on what to do in the event your information is compromised.

Go to https://team.digitaldefense.com/index.php?var=2ec897646fd71a38d0f1ed7b975e7b4f

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