If you think someone is aware of your password, please go to Online Banking and change it. If you try to login and are unable to do so, please contact First Bank and Trust immediately so we can determine if there is a problem with the system or if something has changed on your account.
Please logout from each Online Banking session on our website. By doing so, this will not allow an unauthorized user to gain access to your financial information.
Phishing
Phishing (pronounced “fishing”) involves the use of seemingly legitimate email messages and Internet websites to deceive an individual into disclosing sensitive information, such as bank account information, Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, passwords, and personal identification numbers (PINs). These messages may appear to come from legitimate sources. They ask customers to verify personal information or link to counterfeit websites that appear real.
A phishing email may look like this:
Dear Valued Customer,
Due to safety concerns at our Bank, we are updating your information. Please reconfirm your financial information; otherwise we will have to shut down your account. Click here.
Dear Madam,
We have reviewed our files and determined that your maintenance fee for online service is overdue. Click on this link to login. Once you complete the mandatory fields, you are done.
These emails may look like they have been written by your bank or a trusted vendor, but they are not. We will not ask for personal or financial information through an email. This is the type of trick that a criminal will use to try to gain unlawful and unauthorized access to your account. Techniques such as a false “internet” address or the use of seemingly legitimate graphics or logos and false web links may be used to mislead you. They are truly ‘fishing’ for unsuspecting individuals who will give them information to access their accounts. We are warning you about this so you do not become a victim of this crime.
Be careful with emails that:
- Ask you to act quickly because your account may be suspended or closed and requests personal information to avoid the problem
- Ask for any private data such as account numbers, passwords, Access IDs, or other personal information
- Doesn't address you by your account name or that use a general reference like “Dear valued customer”
First Bank and Trust will NOT ask for personal information, such as account numbers, Social Security or Driver’s License numbers, Access IDs or passwords via email.
While we may send you information or an update via email, we will never ask you to provide personal or bank data through web links or email. If you receive an email requesting this type of information, do not respond to it.
If you think you may have received a phishing email, or have questions about an email that appears to come from us, please call us at 504-584-5900. We’ll be glad to help you.
Malicious Software
Computer attacks attempting to gain access to private information most frequently occur against end-user systems like yours, not directly against First Bank and Trust systems. Malicious "hackers" can attempt to gain access to FBT information, by way of YOUR system. These attacks can come from emails you receive, clicks on websites that contain malicious code even when they appear innocuous, through USB key usage between yours and other systems, and through various other transport mechanisms. A significant step to alleviate these problems at YOUR end is to simply utilize and maintain an updated copy of a commercially available anti-virus/anti-malware package. Every computer used to access the First Bank and Trust Online Banking system(s) should have a working anti-virus and/or anti-malware software installation that regularly updates its signatures.
Network Connections
Computer attacks can also be accomplished through excessively liberal service publishing from your PC. Every PC is both a CLIENT and a SERVER. That is, every PC can both REQUEST information and can BE REQUESTED OF information. Another way to limit malicious users access to request information from your PC is to use a firewall. The firewall could be a cable or DSL modem that limits access to your PC at home from the outside Internet. A firewall can also be installed as software directly on your PC. Proper configuration of a firewall, whether on your PC or on your home networking device is another step towards keeping your information safe, including your First Bank and Trust Online Banking information.
Keep Your Password Safe
Never write your password down and NEVER tape it to your monitor, keyboard, put it in your desk, etc. Most successful passwords incorporate mnemonics rather than factual information. For example, if you want "2 children" to be your password, you might use "2ch1ldr3n" (notice the substitutions for the "I" and "e" in children). Never use your social security number, phone number, children's names and/or birthdates, or easily guessable phrases such as "password". Use a password that you'll remember but that is difficult for others to guess. And, don't use the same password for access to financial websites that you use to access social media, game or shopping sites, or other less trusted places on the Internet. If you're using the same password for Facebook that you use to access FBT Online Banking, consider changing one or the other. Finally, change your password periodically. If you're still using the same password today that you used one year ago, it's time to change.