The following links are provided as a service to bring awareness to potential computer system threats and vulnerabilities. Patriot State Bank is not making any product endorsements and will not provide product support for the products accessed at the following links.

   (It may be necessary to disable pop-up blockers on your computer in order to view the sites below.)  

  Computer System Threat and Vunerability Sites:

• United Sates - Computer Emergency Rediness Team (CERT)
• McAfee Threat Center
• Symantec Threat Explorer
• Microsoft Security Central
• CNET Security News

  Computer System Anti-Virus Download Sites:

• McAfee Anti-Virus Download Site
• Symantec Anti-Virus Download Site

   Washington, D.C.(Dec. 11, 2007)- The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) reminds consumers to protect their personal information, particularly during the holiday season when Americans flock to their computers to shop online.
Even though the most common ID theft or account fraud comes from someone you know online shoppers need to also be cautious about giving out personal information or leaving it where someone has access to it. By following some simple precautions, we remind consumers that they can have a better online shopping experience and not place their personal information in jeopardy.

   ICBA offers some tips to help consumers have a more secure Internet shopping experience:

1. If you shop, bank or use credit cards online, avoid creating passwords that include easily accessed personal information, such as mother's maiden name or date of birth. Instead, use something unique that only you know.
2. Don't give out personal information over the phone, through the mail, or on the Internet unless you know who you're dealing with and preferably only if you've initiated the contact. As a general rule, never give out your Social Security or driver's license numbers. If you must share personal information, confirm that you are dealing with a legitimate organization.
3. Banks will not ask you to verify your personal account information over the phone or via email. They already have that on file. If you receive a phone call or email asking you to verify such information, don't respond. Instead, contact the bank directly.
4. If you receive an e-mail asking for personal information, do not hit the reply button or click on any website link in the e-mail. Instead, go directly to the sender's website by typing in the sender's website address.
5. Don't leave sensitive documents containing personal information where people can see it.
6. Look for secure sights that feature https:// with the "s" in the URL as well as a closed padlock icon on the webpage.
7. Always double check the URL to be sure you are shopping with the company you intended to shop with. That's especially important during the holiday rush when a simple typo could help out identity thieves.
8. Know the company you're dealing with. If you are doing business on a company's website for the first time, do your homework. Consider checking out the Better Business Bureau website (www.bbb.org).
9. Consumer protections under the federal Fair Credit Billing Act apply to Internet credit card purchases. Keep records of the purchase.
10. Avoid providing superfluous information like annual income, spending habits, hobbies and lifestyle data.
11. Shop with U.S.-based companies. Domestic state and federal consumer protection laws apply. You'll be protected and have recourse should something go away.
12. Register your credit and debit cards at "www.verifiedbyvisa.com" and/or "mastercardsecurecode.com" for a more secure online shopping experience.

   Learn more about preventing identity theft at the federal government's website- www.idtheft.gov

   Identity theft starts with the misuse of your personally identifying information such as your name and Social Security number, credit card numbers, or other financial account information. For identity thieves, this information is as good as gold. Skilled identity thieves may use a variety of methods to get hold of your information, including:

1. Dumpster Diving. They rummage through trash looking for bills or other paper with your personal information on it.
2. Skimming. They steal credit/debit card numbers by using a special storage device when processing your card.
3. Phishing. They pretend to be financial institutions or companies and send spam or pop-up messages to get you to reveal your personal information.
4. Changing Your Address. They divert your billing statements to another location by completing a change of address form.
5. Old-Fashioned Stealing. They steal wallets and purses; mail, including bank and credit card statements; pre-approved credit offers; and new checks or tax information. They steal personnel records, or bribe employees who have access.
6. Pretexting. They use false pretenses to obtain your personal information from financial institutions, telephone companies, and other sources.

   Once they have your personal information, identity thieves use it in a variety of ways.

   Credit card fraud:

• They may open new credit card accounts in your name. When they use the cards and don't pay the bills, the delinquent accounts appear on your credit report.
• They may change the billing address on your credit card so that you no longer receive bills, and then run up charges on your account. Because your bills are now sent to a different address, it may be some time before you realize there's a problem.

   Phone or utilities fraud:

• They may open a new phone or wireless account in your name, or run up charges on your existing account.
• They may use your name to get utility services like electricity, heating, or cable TV.

   Bank/finance fraud:

• They may create counterfeit checks using your name or account number.
• They may open a bank account in your name and write bad checks.
• They may clone your ATM or debit card and make electronic withdrawals under your name, draining your accounts.
• They may take out a loan in your name.

   Government documents fraud:

• They may get a driver's license or official ID card issued in your name but with their picture.
• They may use your name and Social Security number to get government benefits.
• They may file a fraudulent tax return using your information.

   Other fraud:

• They may get a job using your Social Security number.
• They may rent a house or get medical services using your name.
• They may give your personal information to police during an arrest. If they don't show up for their court date, a warrant for arrest is issued in your name.

   1. Place a fraud alert on your credit reports, and review Fraud alerts can help prevent an identity thief from opening any more accounts in your name. Contact the toll-free fraud number of any of the three consumer reporting companies below to place a fraud alert on your credit report. You only need to contact one of the three companies to place an alert. The company you call is required to contact the other two, which will place an alert on their versions of your report, too. If you do not receive a confirmation from a company, you should contact that company directly to place a fraud alert.

Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013

TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

   2. Close the accounts that you know, or believe, have been tampered with or opened fraudulently

   3. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

   You can file a complaint with the FTC using the online complaint form; or call the FTC's Identity Theft Hotline, toll-free: 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338); TTY: 1-866-653-4261; or write Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580. Be sure to call the Hotline to update your complaint if you have any additional information or problems

   4. File a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place.

   When you go to your local police department to file your report, bring a printed copy of your FTC ID Theft Complaint form, your cover letter, and your supporting documentation. The cover letter explains why a police report and an ID Theft Complaint are so important to victims.