Never reply to emails, phone calls, or text messages that request your personal      information

North Star Bank will never contact you by phone or email to ask for your account numbers, PIN numbers, or any other confidential information. North Star Bank only asks you for confidential information to verify your identity when you initiate contact with us. To contact us online, type northstarbank.com on your Internet browser. To contact us by phone, dial one of the local numbers listed online or in your account statement.

Scams to Watch Out For

Criminals and con artists use many scams to target unsuspecting people who have access to money. Be aware of the following top tactics:

• Email Compromise and Phishing Scams
• Overpayment Scams
• "Do Me a Favor" Scams
• Financial Scams Targeting the Elderly (i.e scammers posing as technical support, IRS/Medicare representatives, grandchildren, etc.)

Sign up for North Star Bank Security Alerts

When you enroll for this free service from North Star Bank, you can monitor transaction activity and you’ll receive automatic text messages or email alerts confirming whenever North Star Bank is given instructions for changes to your account, including:

• Address, email or phone number changes
• Password change

Ensure your contact information (phone, email, address) is up to date.

Go paperless

Sign up for North Star Bank’s free Online Statements and Internet Bill Pay. USPS warns that mail theft and check fraud is on the rise as thieves grow more brazen.

Monitor your paper statement, bills, and online accounts

Check the transactions listed on your bank statements, credit card bills, utility bills, and online accounts regularly for unauthorized transactions. If you spot something suspicious, report it immediately.

Only do business with companies you know and trust

When making online transactions, be sure the website uses secure encryption and never share authentication codes, or provide other information, in response to an unsolicited phone call or text.

Protect your PC with up-to-date anti-virus software

ACH AND WIRE FRAUD

Best Practices:

• Verify by phone before you send funds
• Be cautious of new payment information
• Match your payment to a legitimate invoice before paying
• Double check the email address and always verify before clicking on a link or opening an attachment in an email or text
• Do not respond to email as verification
• Beware of a sense of urgency
• Know and trust who you are working with

Password protect your electronics

Enable the password feature on your cellphone, laptop, Kindle, iPad, or any electronic devices that contain personal information about you – including, phone numbers, banking information – anything you don’t want in the hands of strangers. Doing this ensures that if your password-protected device is lost or stolen, your personal information is not immediately accessible to others.
Additionally, most devices have “remote wipe” capability that allows you to erase addresses, phone numbers, emails, photos and other sensitive content on a lost or stolen phone. Wiping a lost or stolen phone restores the device to its factory settings. Refer to the manufacturer’s website to learn specifics for your device.

Watch your U.S. Postal mail

Missing bills or statements may indicate someone is tampering with your mail or your identity. To prevent mail fraud:

• Consider going paperless for your banking needs.
• If you will be away from home for 3-30 days, sign up for “Hold Mail Service”. The Post Office has a forwarding service if you will be gone more than 30 days.
• Call the U.S. Postal Service at 800-275-8777