News & Alerts
SIMPLY MORE NEWSLETTER
November-December 2012
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In This Issue...
- Enhanced Security for Online Banking
- Why is Enhanced Security So Important?
- Join Our Community Food Drive
- Banking Hours for the Holiday Season
- Bank Adds Chief Financial Officer
- 3 Tips to Avoid Holiday Scams
Enhanced Security for Online Banking
We are pleased to announce enhanced security for online banking. Beginning in mid-December, your online banking experience will include a new security service, which will further help protect you from identity theft.
The major change you will notice is that the Challenge Question will be replaced with a phone-delivered One-Time Password (OTP) to better protect you from credential theft. In addition, User ID and Password requirements are being modified for easier online access.
New requirements are as follows:
- User Name – minimum of six characters (alpha or numeric)
- Password – minimum eight characters (must include 1 alpha, 1 numeric, and 1 special character)
- Bad login attempts – Three (before account is blocked)
- Password Expiration – 120 days
Once this new security service takes effect, you will be prompted to enroll your phone number for use in delivering the One-Time Password for each computer you use to access online banking. In the future, you will use the One-Time Password feature instead of answering Challenge Questions.
In addition to these enhanced security features, you will also notice new enhancements to the look and navigation your Online Banking platform.
Click here for Frequently Asked Questions about the enhanced security upgrade
Why is Enhanced Security So Important?
Here are some facts and figures about cyber-hackers:
- A hacker with a fast computer can crack a four-number password in a tenth of a second.
- An eight-number password takes a bit longer to break, but still under two minutes.
- However, change that eight-number password to letters, numbers and punctuation marks, and a hacker will need 210 years.
- For a 12-character code like that – 17 million years.
Community Food Drive – Join Us This Holiday Season
Fill an empty table for those needing assistance in your community.
The Peoples Community Bank is hosting our annual Community Food Drive from November 15th to December 15th to benefit our local food pantries and we’re inviting you to join us in this effort. In return for your generous support we’re offering several incentives:
- Anyone donating three (3) or more canned/dry goods, or $5.00 or more in cash, will be eligible to enter a drawing for a $100 VISA gift card at each of our locations.
- Unlimited entries into the drawing are permitted.
- The bank will match cash donations up to $1,000 to be disbursed between our food pantries in Arena, Barneveld, Mazomanie and Spring Green.
- And, bank employees can wear blue jeans to work during the 30-day period but they have to contribute $5.00 toward the effort each day that they do so.
Important Note: For every $5.00 in cash you donate, food pantries are able to provide 15 meals. Therefore, your cash donations will stretch further than non-perishable food donations.
Hours & Locations: Your donations can be dropped off on weekdays between 8:30am - 5:00pm or Saturdays 8:30am – Noon at any of our locations:
- Arena – 614 Highway 14
- Barneveld – 100 Ernie Drive
- Mazomanie - 222 W. Commercial Street
- Plain – 1065 Main Street
- Spring Green – 166 S. Lexington Street
All proceeds from our Community Food Drive will go to support those needing assistance in our local communities. For more information, please contact any representative of The Peoples Community Bank by phone at (800) 795-2151, or e-mail news@thepeoplescommunitybank.com
Banking Hours for the Holiday Season
Please note the following lobby hours and transaction processing schedule for the upcoming Holiday Season:
- On Monday, December 24th, we will be open from 8:30am to Noon. We will be closed Christmas day.
- On New Year’s Eve our lobbies will be open from 8:30am to 5:00 p.m. and closed on New Year’s Day.
- If you need a transaction processed for 2012, these transactions must be made prior to 5:00 pm on Monday, December 31.
The Peoples Community Bank Adds Chief Financial Officer
Jay Heibel of Barneveld has joined The Peoples Community Bank as a Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Heibel had most recently been employed as a commissioned bank examiner with The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and was previously employed as an analyst with the State of Wisconsin Investment Board. A native of Dodgeville, Heibel is a graduate of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA with a Finance degree in Business and Economics.
“Jay is a strong addition to our team of bankers”, said Gary Harrop, bank president. “His experience as a regulator and background in finance position the bank well as we move into an era of increased regulation and industry consolidation."
You're getting ready for company, preparing a huge Thanksgiving meal, finalizing Christmas lists and Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, is right around the corner. The last thing you want to worry about right now is your money.
However, when your guard is down – during times like the Holiday Season – is when scammers are most likely to try and attack your personal information!
Here are three basic steps to prevent becoming a victim of a holiday scam:
- STOP - Do not respond immediately to voicemails, e-mails or text messages requesting your information. If you're on the phone with a human being (rather than a machine voice), request the caller's name and contact information. Do not give out any of your personal information.
- THINK - Ask yourself, “why would my bank need this information when they already have it?” Remember that The Peoples Community Bank will never request specific account information via phone, e-mail or text message. At any time, we can simply look that information up in our records.
- CALL - Call the number that appears on your bank statement, not the number in the voice message or e-mail soliciting your information. And, contact local law enforcement if you think you've been a victim of a scam.
So, as you gear up for the holidays, remember that scammers are doing the same. Just remember "Stop, Think, Call" and you'll be free to enjoy the festivities!
This newsletter does not constitute tax, legal, accounting or other professional advice. We attempt to be accurate, but neither we nor any other party shall be held liable for loss or damages resulting from reliance upon or use of this material. © 2012 The Peoples Community Bank
