Dear Valued Central State Bank Customer,

We wanted to inform you of a recent vishing attack happening in our area. The attack consists of automated telephone calls made to customers' cellular telephones, claiming to originate from Visa® security. The automated call demands that customers enter information, such as their primary account number (PAN), card expiration date, or card verification value (CVV2), immediately through their touchtone telephones to prevent account deactivation.

While some customers have been able to capture the caller ID of the incoming fraudulent call, most of the telephone numbers appear to be spoofed, meaning the number is one of an uninvolved third party. This spoofing technique allows the fraudsters to mask the true source of the call. Since account information is demanded as part of the initial call, there is no callback telephone number given that law enforcement can attempt to have disconnected, making the attack nearly impossible to defeat.

If one of you fall victim to a phishing, vishing, or SMiShing attack and has provided confidential account information to a fraudster, please ensure you take immediate steps by notifying Central State Bank so that we might hot-card the card to protect you from potential losses.

Identity theft is a serious crime. It occurs when your personal information is stolen and used without your knowledge to commit fraud or other crimes. Identity theft can cost you time and money. It can destroy your credit and ruin your good name.

Each year, millions of Americans have their identity stolen. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation's consumer protection agency, wants you to have the information you need to protect yourself against identity theft. This information is summed up in the FTC's clear and concise message on identity theft: Deter, Detect, Defend.

DETER identity thieves by safeguarding your information

DETECT suspicious activity by routinely monitoring your financial accounts and billing statements

DEFEND against ID theft as soon as you suspect a problem

While there is no fool-proof way to avoid ID theft, there are steps you can take to minimize your chance of becoming a victim, and steps to take to minimize the damage should a theft occur.

If you feel you’ve been a victim or just have questions, please feel free to call Central State Bank at 563-245-2110.