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Customer Awareness

Overdrawing your account can be expensive due to multiple overdraft fees and there may be cheaper alternatives. Bounce Protection implements a $30 fee for each item presented against insufficient funds. Bank of Cleveland’s Bounce Protection Service is not designed to be used as a line of credit or a regular source of funds, but rather as a convenience to cover inadvertent overdrafts and as a safety net to help in emergencies.

The best way to avoid overdrafts and bounced check fees is to manage your account so it is not overdrawn. However, if a mistake occurs, Bank of Cleveland offers other ways to cover overdrafts in addition to Bounce Protection:

Methods to Cover Overdrafts & Fees

  • Good Account Management
  • Automatic Transfers Linked To Another Account: * $3 per transfer
You may track your Bounce Protection fees for the month and year on your monthly checking account statement. Bank of Cleveland’s Internet Banking, Telephone Banking and Mobile Banking can assist you in keeping up with your account balance and activity.

You may opt-out of the Bounce Protection service at any time, and you can still choose to opt-out of ATM and one-time debit card overdrafts at any time even if you have chosen to opt-in to the payment of ATM and one-time debit card overdrafts for a fee.

With Bounce Protection you will be charged $30 for each item paid or if the account is accessed when the balance is not sufficient for the amount of the transaction. Overdraft/Bounce protection and the fees may be imposed on transactions such as in-person withdrawals, by check, automated teller machine (ATM) withdrawals, debit card transactions, or other electronic means. You should repay your overdraft balance and bring your account to a positive balance within thirty days. Whether your overdrafts will be paid is discretionary and we reserve the right not to pay. For example, we typically do not pay overdrafts if your account is not in good standing, or you are not making regular deposits, or you have too many overdrafts.
The financial services industry is the gold standard of cybersecurity.

  • Banks and other financial services companies have made cybersecurity a top priority.
  • Banks have the highest level of security among critical U.S. industries— including energy and telecommunications—and the most stringent regulatory requirements.
  • It is important to build a national cybersecurity environment that does not conflict with existing regulatory requirements or become a compliance exercise.
Protecting your money is a partnership.

  • The bank and the customer must work together to prevent fraud.
  • Banks use a combination of safeguards to protect customer information, such as employee training, strict privacy policies, rigorous security standards and encryption systems.
  • Customers should monitor their accounts regularly and alert the bank right away if they suspect they are a victim of fraud.
  • The banking industry is committed to continuing its tradition of safeguarding confidential financial information.
  • Unlike other businesses that have experienced security breaches, banks already have a regulatory system in place requiring them to address cyber threats and notify their customers when a data breach occurs.
  • Federal and state regulators have issued rules telling banks what to do if they have a data breach, including when to notify customers.
  • The rules require banks to immediately investigate breach incidents and determine if any fraud has occurred, even if it is “reasonably possible.” If so, customers must be notified as soon as possible, unless law enforcement tells the bank that an investigation would be endangered by the notice.
  • If misuse of the data is unlikely, no notice is required, primarily to minimize customer inconvenience and avoid undue alarm. Unnecessary warnings could create a “cry wolf” attitude toward future notices. 

PROTECTING YOUR IDENTITY

Identity theft continues to increase every year. Bank of Cleveland has implemented stringent privacy policies to protect your personal and financial information. Here are ways you can help deter identity theft.

CONSUMER TIPS TO AVOID IDENTITY THEFT

  • Don’t give your Social Security number or other personal credit information about yourself to anyone who contacts you.
  • Tear up receipts, bank statements and unused credit card offers before throwing them away.
  • Keep an eye out for any missing mail.
  • Don’t mail bills from your own mailbox with the flag up.
  • Review your monthly accounts regularly for any unauthorized charges through the internet, phone or ATM statements.
  • Order copies of your credit report once a year to ensure accuracy.
  • Choose to do business with companies you know are reputable, particularly online.
  • When conducting business online, make sure your browser’s padlock or key icon is active, indicating a secure transaction.
  • Never give out personal financial information in an email or over the phone.
  • When using social networking sites, never include personal contact information including telephone numbers, Social Security number, birth date, email addresses, physical address, mother’s maiden name or other information that could provide sensitive information to fraudsters or hints to passwords.
    Don’t open email from unknown sources and use virus detection software.
    Protect your PINs (don’t carry them in your wallet!) and passwords; use a combination of letters and numbers for your passwords and change them periodically.
    Report any suspected fraud to your bank and the fraud units of the three credit reporting agencies immediately.


CONSUMER TIPS FOR VICTIMS:

If you suspect your identity has been stolen, call your bank and credit card issuers immediately so they can start working on closing your accounts and clearing your name.

-File a police report and call the fraud unit of three credit-reporting companies (see phone numbers below).

-Consider placing a victim statement in your credit report.
Make sure to maintain a log of all the contacts you make with authorities regarding the matter. Write down names, titles, and phone numbers in case you need to re-contact them or refer to them in future correspondence.

For more advice, contact the FTC’s ID Theft Consumer Response Center at 1-877-ID THEFT.


The fraud unit numbers are:
  • TransUnion (800) 680-7289
  • Experian (888) 397-3742
  • Equifax (800) 525-6285
Elder financial exploitation is the illegal or improper use of an older person’s funds, property, or assets.

Older Americans are increasingly becoming targets for fraud and financial exploitation.

  • Americans age 55 or older account for 70 percent of all bank deposit balances today.
  • At least 20 percent of Americans over the age of 65 (more than 7.3 million seniors) have been victimized by financial abuse.
  • 10,000 baby boomers are retiring every day until 2030 and scammers are looking for ways to take advantage of this demographic shift.
Fraudsters tell lies, make threats and use emotional manipulation to carry out their scams.

  • Fraudsters target older Americans because they typically have access to pensions, 401ks, social security payments as well as checking and savings accounts.
  • Seniors who are socially isolated, experience cognitive decline, have chronic conditions or have functional limitations are particularly at risk of exploitation.
The best way to protect your loved one is to watch out for red flags and help them take important steps to safeguard their assets and identity.

  • Caregivers should stay alert for checks written to unusual recipients, unexplainable increases in credit card debt, unauthorized charges on statements, uncharacteristic attempts to wire large sums of money, discontinued utilities due to lack of payment and/or dramatic changes in payments for professional services such as medical care and investment services.
  • Financial caregivers should keep well-organized financial records, including up-to-date lists of assets and debts and a streamline of all financial transactions to better spot discrepancies in their loved ones finances.
Older Americans can help protect themselves from financial exploitation by following these tips:

  • Keep personal information private. Never share your social security number, account information, or personal details over the phone or internet, unless you initiated contact with a trusted source.
  • Shred receipts, bank statements and unused credit card offers before throwing them away so fraudsters can’t piece together your personal information.
  • Never let a new or untrusted “advisor” pressure you into sharing personal or financial details. They could be a fraudster.
  • Check your credit report at least once a year to ensure no new credit cards or accounts have been opened by criminals in your name.
  • Register your phone number at the Do Not Call Registry to stop solicitation calls. Do not answer phone calls from numbers you don’t recognize, instead wait and check your voicemail message.
If you suspect that you or a family member have been the victim of elder financial abuse, take immediate action.

  • Victims should report the suspected abuse to the bank and enlist their help in fixing and preventing fraud.
  • Victims should contact the local police and Adult Protective Services in the appropriate town or state to report the problem.
  • Call the Victim Connect Hotline at 1-855-484-2846 or the Eldercare Locator helpline at 1-800-677-1116.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), signed into law in 2006, prohibits any person engaged in the business of betting or wagering from knowingly accepting payments in connection with the participation of another person in
unlawful internet gambling.

The Department of Treasury and the Federal Reserve Board have issued a joint final rule, Regulation GG, to implement this Act.
As defined in Regulation GG, unlawful internet gambling means to "place, receive or otherwise knowingly transmit a bet or wager by any means which involves the use, at least in part, of the internet
where such bet or wager is unlawful under any applicable Federal or State law in the State or Tribal lands in which the bet or wager is initiated, received or otherwise made".

Bank of Cleveland has developed policies and procedures concerning internet gambling transactions. Bank of Cleveland will not conduct or transact business with or for any business account holder participating in legal or unlawful internet gambling transactions.