Escapees November-December 2023

I n this festive fl urry, it’s crucial to be vigilant. As the digital realm becomes a breeding ground for cybercriminals and scammers preying on those seeking irre sistible deals, it’s wise to exercise caution. Here are a few invaluable safety pointers to ensure your online shopping experience remains secure: Sidestep Tempting Links Exercise caution when encountering links on social networking sites that promise too-good-to-be-true deals. Often, these prices are signi fi cantly lower than those of reputable online stores. Your best bet is to navigate directly to the source. Fortify Account Security Enhance your online security by utilizing distinct, robust passwords for each account. Don’t use common phrases or easily guessed combinations to prevent a potential breach. Monitor Financial Statements Regularly scrutinize your bank and credit card statements to promptly identify any suspicious or unauthorized transactions. Stay Wary of Callers Stay alert when it comes to unsolicited calls, especially those claiming to be from your bank’s fraud department. If you receive such a call, hang up and directly contact your bank. Despite the presence of Internet scams and cyber threats, theres no need to forgo the convenience of online shopping altogether. By maintaining a vigilant stance and implementing proper precautions, you can indulge in safe online shopping. As you traverse the virtual marketplace, remem ber that awareness of potential risks is your best armor against those with ill intentions. Happy and secure online shopping! Vicki Jackson, Information SecurityO ffi cer, Vice President

Prevent Escheatment Use Your Bank Accounts Escheatment is the process of turning over unclaimed, abandoned property or accounts to the state. Unclaimed Property can be any fi nancial asset that has been abandoned by the owner for periods ranging from one to 15 years. The abandonment period is the number of years that the property is held before being sent to the State Comptroller’s Of fi ce. Financial Institutions must turn over assets if the abandonment period has been met without docu mented contact or activity with the property owner. Assets are turned over to the state in which the property owner’s address is listed under. Making a deposit or withdrawal from your bank account, along with your signature, at least once a year, is the simplest way to keep your account active and your fi nancial assets from being turned over. It is also very import ant to make sure you update addresses and phone numbers anytime there has been a change. These fi nancial assets

include, but are not limited to, checking accounts, savings accounts, certi fi cates of deposits, IRAs, money orders and cashier’s checks. Tasha Ganzer Deposit Operations Manager, Banking O ffi cer

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November/December 2023 ESCAPEES Magazine