Consumer Information &
Education
At BankFirst we care about you and protecting your identity.
This page is for your use in safeguarding your personal and
financial records from fraud and identity theft. It also
provides links to various agencies that can assist you with any
of these needs.
If you should require any assistance or have any questions,
please feel free in contacting one of our Representatives.
BankFirst is dedicated to providing our customers highly
personalized service.
Financial Education for Children
Fraud Alert – Cashier’s Checks
There was a time when a cashier’s check was almost as good as cash. But with today’s computers and printers,
criminals can create checks that appear very genuine and fraudulent cashier’s checks have become an increasing
problem. They are used in a number of schemes:
- You sell an item online and receive a cashier’s check in payment (sometimes the cashier’s check is worth
more than the sales price and you are asked to wire the excess to a third party, often in a foreign country);
- You receive a letter stating that you have won a lottery (often foreign) or are the beneficiary of
someone’s estate. A cashier’s check will be enclosed which you are asked to deposit to your account to cover
transfer/processing fees and then wire the fee to a third party (again, often in a foreign country);
- You are asked to be a “mystery shopper.” You receive a cashier’s check which you are asked to deposit to
your account. You are instructed to use the proceeds to pay for the purchase of the merchandise at the
designated merchant and wire the balance to a third party (generally in a foreign country).
For example,
You deposit a cashier’s check to your account and receive the proceeds. You then send goods or funds to the third
party as requested. Your bank is later notified by the bank on which the cashier’s check allegedly was drawn that
the check is fraudulent and your bank then must reverse the credit to your account. You end up losing the cost of
the item(s) you sold, the funds you wired, or both.
If you receive a cashier’s check from someone you do not know and trust or unexpectedly through the mail, try to
verify that the check is valid before you ship goods or wire money based on the proceeds. Your bank may ask you
questions about the source of the check and/or may extend the time at which the funds will be available if they
have reason to doubt the collectiblity of the check or if it is in an amount in excess of $5,000.
Remember that old adage: If it sounds too good, it probably is. Don’t be tricked into losing your money in
one of these schemes.
Identity Theft Educational Links:
FYI: When clicking on any of the links below to outside
websites that aren't part of BankFirst, you will be taken to a
new browser window to view the link.
Click here to go to BankFirst’s identity theft education
website.
Click here to get an Identity Theft Kit from the FTC
(Federal Trade Commission) that can assist you in taking
charge and fighting back against Identity Theft.
Click here to get important information on alerts, frauds,
etc from the NBA (Nebraska Bankers Association).
Click here to go to the Consumer Connection page on
the American Bankers Association website. This section
contains an unbelievable amount of information to help with
identity theft, internet frauds (phishing, skimming, etc),
managing your mailbox, and many more.
Other resources:
-
Donotcall.gov takes you to the federal government site
to register your home and mobile numbers to stop
telemarketer calls, after approximately three months. To
register by phone, call 1-888-382-1222.
-
Consumer.gov/idtheft is a government site maintained by
the Federal Trade Commission. This site answers all your
questions about identity theft.
-
Ftc.gov/ftc/consumer.htm is also from the FTC. Click on
‘Telemarketing’ to learn about telemarketing scams.
-
Fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/guard/index/html to learn
how to guard against internet thieves and electronic scams.
- BBB.org
is the Better Business Bureau. Click on ‘Business’ to get an
immediate free report on any company. This is also a
convenient way to check on an online business, by entering
the company’s web address (URL).
-
Antiphishing.org is The Anti-Phishing Working Group.
Their goal is to eliminate identity theft and fraud that
results from phishing e-mails and spoofed web sites.
-
Annualcreditreport.com Beginning in 2005, you are
entitled to a free copy of your credit report from all three
credit bureaus every 12 months from each of the three
consumer reporting agencies.
