Beware of Phishing Attempts and Internet Scams
While email is convenient and has a good business use, it can also be misused by criminals for scams and various other fraudulent purposes. “Phishing emails” are frequently used by criminals to entice the recipient to visit a fraudulent website where they try to convince the recipient to provide personal information, such as ATM card numbers, account numbers, Social Security numbers, access IDs, and passcodes. Some of these fraudulent websites may also be virus laden and can be used to download malware to your computer. Fraudulent websites often look identical to a legitimate site, so it’s important to look very closely at the website address.
Below we have listed a few tips to help protect your personal information on the Internet:
- Always be wary of links in emails, especially any links in emails purporting to be from this Institution.
- Please remember that if we send you an email, we will never ask for personal information such as your account number, ATM card number, PIN, or social security number.
- Bookmark financial websites and use these bookmarks every time you visit the website.
- Whenever you enter personal information like your access ID or passcode, always look for the lock symbol, or https: in the address bar. Always click on the lock symbol and review the certificate details.
- Update your Internet browser! Most browsers now offer free anti-phishing toolbars that can help alert you of fraudulent websites.
- If you send us an email, please do not include any confidential, personal, or sensitive information in the email message, as email messages are generally not secure. We do offer secure messaging through our Internet Banking product and you may use this secure messaging feature if you need to send us sensitive or confidential information.
- Make sure your computer always has up-to-date versions of both anti-spyware and anti-virus software.
- If you receive an e-mail that you think could be a scam, delete it immediately, or forward the email to info@csbtx.com.
- If you have any questions about the legitimacy of an email, especially an email from this Institution, you can also call us at this number 979-596-1421 or forward the email to info@csbtx.com.
External 3rd Party Links
Our website may include links to external 3rd party websites. These links to external 3rd parties are offered as a courtesy and a convenience to our customers. When you visit these sites, you will leave our website and will be redirected to another site.
This Institution does not control linked 3rd party websites. We are not an agent for these third parties nor do we endorse or guarantee their products. We make no representation or warranty regarding the accuracy of the information contained in linked sites. We suggest that you always verify the information obtained from linked websites before acting upon this information. Also, please be aware that the security and privacy policies on these sites may be different from our policies, so please read third party privacy and security policies closely.
While using our website, you may still see our logo when linking to a 3rd party site. A technique called “framing” allows us to display our logo and look and feel while allowing you to browse another site at the same time. It’s important to note that while you may still see our logo and frame, any information you provide to a 3rd party is not covered by our privacy or security policies.
If you have questions or concerns about the privacy policies and practices of linked 3rd parties, please review their websites and contact them directly.
Security
This Institution and our Service Providers maintain strong physical, electronic, and procedural controls to protect against unauthorized access to customer information. Our computer systems are protected in the following ways:
- Computer anti-virus protection detects and prevents viruses from entering our website, email, and computer network systems.
- Firewalls and intrusion prevention systems block unauthorized access by individuals or networks.
- We use encryption technology to protect the transmission of your confidential information. Whenever you login to our Internet banking product or schedule an online transaction through our system, the communication is encrypted. Encryption scrambles transferred data so unauthorized parties cannot read it.
- We use strong multi-level authentication and behavior analysis to help prevent unauthorized access to your accounts. Multi-level authentication can help prevent access by someone who may have stolen your login credentials.
- We provide secure email through our Internet Banking product to help ensure that your communications with us are confidential.
We continually monitor technological advances and upgrade our systems to ensure your information remains secure.
Privacy of Children
COPPA, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, protects children under the age of 13 from the collection of personal information on the Internet. This financial institution respects the privacy of children. We do not knowingly collect names, email addresses, or any other personally identifiable information from children. We do not knowingly market to children, nor do we allow children under 13 to open online accounts.
Cookies
By accessing this site the User acknowledges that even though the Owner and the Host of this site have taken security measures, the Internet should be used with caution. Concerns about the possible lack of privacy, vulnerability to viruses, and the acceptance of "cookies" are the responsibility of the User.
The term “cookie” as used in this disclosure means a small text file sent by a web server and stored on your hard drive, your computer’s memory, or in your browser so that it can be read back later. Cookies are a basic way for a server to identify the computer you happen to be using at the time. Cookies are used for many things from personalizing start up pages to facilitating online purchases. Cookies help sites recognize return visitors and they perform a very important function in secure Internet banking.
"Session cookies” are used to monitor session activity within our Internet banking product. These cookies are encrypted and only our Service Provider can read the information in these cookies. The session cookie facilitates the processing of multiple transactions during a session without requiring you to re enter your passcode for each individual transaction. Session cookies used within our Internet banking product do not pass to your computer’s hard drive. Instead, the cookie is stored in your computer’s memory, identifying only your computer while you are logged on. When you log off, or close your browser, the cookie is destroyed. A new cookie is used for each session; that way, no one can use the prior cookie to access your account. For additional security, the cookie expires after a short period of inactivity determined by our Service Provider. It must then be renewed by re entering your passcode. We do not use this cookie to collect or obtain personal information about you.
An encrypted non-expiring cookie may also be used within our Internet banking product for the identification of this Institution.
CitizensNet Banking
The Internet Banking Section "CitizensNet Banking" is for authorized users only. Any attempt to enter the secured Internet Banking section is prohibited by federal laws and will be reported to law enforcement authorities.
E-mail communications are considered an informal method of communication between the Sender and Citizens State Bank (and vice versa). Official communications with Citizens State Bank must be made via conventional methods (mail or courier).
Terms and Use Disclosure Updates
This disclosure maybe updated from time-to-time as new products and features require changes to it. The effective date of our policy will always be clearly displayed. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the current Terms and Use disclosure in effect when you access our web site or when you login to our Internet banking product. If we make changes that require prior notice to you, or the opportunity that you can opt-out of our Internet banking product, such disclosures will be made as required.
Questions
If you have any questions about our Terms and Use Disclosure or concerns about our privacy practices, please contact us at 979-596-1421 or mailto:info@csbtx.com.
Our general Privacy Notice is accessible by clicking here:
