Security Center

“We have clients that challenge us to push technology and operations to serve them better. We also heavily invest in technology our clients never see – primarily back-office operations like IT and cyber security to protect our clients’ data.”

“We have clients that challenge us to push technology and operations to serve them better. We also heavily invest in technology our clients never see – primarily back-office operations like IT and cyber security to protect our clients’ data.”

Security Center

Fraud is growing in frequency and sophistication every day. Identity thieves and other criminals are reaching across states and countries to fraudulently obtain Personally Identifiable Information (PII) about individuals and businesses. Prevention methods carry the most impact in combating and reducing fraud.

Although the Internet is a growing channel for fraudulent activity (online fraud), offline fraud remains the greatest threat. The most common types of offline fraud include credit card fraud, phone solicitations, print fraud, check scams, and mail fraud. Identity theft is one of the most common results of online or offline fraud.

These tips can help you prevent fraud or theft from your account. Some types of accounts have additional protections available. Please see your deposit rules for details.

Click below for more info

General Fraud Best Practices

  • Carry only necessary information with you. Leave your social security card and unused credits cards at home in a safe and secure location.
  • Make photocopies of vital information you carry regularly and store them in a secure place.
  • Do not provide your tax identification number or social security number unless absolutely necessary.
  • Replace paper invoices, statements, and checks with electronic versions, if offered by your employer, bank, utility provider or other third-party vendor.
  • Sign up for eStatements. Have your WoodTrust Bank statements sent to you electronically and password protected.
  • Shred documents containing business, personal or financial information before discarding. Most fraud and identity theft incidents happen as a result of mail and garbage theft.
  • Review your credit report at least once a year, looking for suspicious or unknown transactions. You can get a free credit report once a year from each of the three major credit bureaus at www.annualcreditreport.com. For a small fee you can obtain a copy at any time directly from:
  • Place outgoing mail in a U.S. Postal Service mailbox to reduce the chance of mail theft.
  • Promptly retrieve incoming mail to limit the opportunity for theft.
  • Promptly review account transactions and statements for unauthorized activity.
  • Know your billing and statement cycles. Contact your vendor’s customer service department if you stop receiving your regular bill or statement.

Think You Are A Victim?

If you think you are a victim of fraud:

  • Immediately cease all activity from computer systems that may be compromised. Unplug the Ethernet or cable modem connection to isolate the system.
  • Immediately contact WoodTrust Bank so that the following actions may be taken as a priority to contain the incident:
    • Disable online access to the accounts.
    • Change online account passwords.
  • Open new account(s).
  • Review all recent transactions and electronic authorizations on the account.
  • Ensure that no one has requested an address change, title change, PIN change or ordered new cards, checks or other account documents be sent to another address.
  • File a police report with the local police department and provide the facts and circumstances surrounding the loss. Obtain a police report number with the date, time, department, location, and officer’s name taking the report or involved in the subsequent investigation. Having a police report on file will often facilitate dealing with insurance companies, banks, and other establishments that may be the recipient of fraudulent activity. The police report may initiate a law enforcement investigation into the loss with the goal of identifying, arresting, and prosecuting the offender and possibly recovering losses.
  • Maintain a written chronology of what happened, what was lost, and the steps that you took to report the incident to the various agencies, banks, and firms impacted.
  • Record the date, time, contact telephone number, person spoken to, and any relevant report or reference number and instructions.
  • Review the recommendations at the Federal Trade Commission’s Identity Theft website.
  • Consider hiring a consultant to have your network and systems reviewed by a qualified computer forensic/information security professional.

Online Security Best Practices

  • Use a current web browser.
  • Clear the web browser cache before you begin an online banking session.
  • Avoid using automatic login features.
  • Remember that WoodTrust Bank will never ask for your password via email, phone, or text.
  • Separate controls for your online treasury management applications across more than one computer. Use one computer to create online payments; have a second user approve those payments from a different computer. This will reduce the risk of internal fraud, while at the same time make it more difficult for intruders to find both of your company’s user names and passwords.
  • Limit internet use on computers used for online banking, reducing the risk that malicious programs will infect those computers.
  • Be familiar with what WoodTrust Bank’s website looks like and what questions are asked to verify your identity. Some attacks, known as man-in-the-middle attacks, will change the login page. These changes allow the attacker to see your answers and to add security questions. When you log in, the information is transmitted to the attacker and your online account is compromised.
  • The Consumer Internet Banking login page shows you the time and date of your last login. Check it to make sure nobody else has accessed your account.
  • Create strong passwords with at least 10 characters, including lower-case and upper-case letters, numbers, and special characters.
  • Prohibit the use of “shared” user names and passwords for online banking systems.
  • Don’t use Personally Identifiable Information (PII) as a username or password, such as your social security number.
  • Change your usernames and passwords regularly.
  • Avoid using the same username and password on all your online accounts.
  • Protect your username and password – don’t write them down and don’t share them with others.
  • Protect your answers to security questions – don’t write them down and don’t share them with others. Select questions and provide answers that are easy for you to remember, but hard for others to guess.
  • Check online banking account balances and activity daily and immediately notify WoodTrust of any suspicious activity while accessing online services by calling Account Services at 715-423-7600.
  • We may offer the following services and security measures, subject to a separate agreement and fee that serve as precautions that you can take to decrease the risk of unauthorized transactions, and are designated to detect and/or deter fraud:
    • ACH Debit Block & Filter
    • Positive Pay
  • Don’t access online services from public computers, kiosks, and the like.
  • Never leave a computer unattended while using any online service.
  • Access banking sites and shop with online merchants that you know and trust. Ensure that online access and purchases are secured with encryption to protect your information. Look for secure transaction symbols such as a lock symbol or https: in the address bar of the browser. Always log off from a website after making an online purchase. If you cannot log off, close the web browser completely to prevent unauthorized access to your information.
  • Use WoodTrust Bank tools such as Positive Pay, ACH debit block and filter, and alerts to mitigate financial loss.
  • Establish transaction dollar limits for employees who initiate and approve online payments such as ACH, wire transactions, and account transfers.
  • Contact your insurance agent for information regarding specific coverage for electronic banking.

Computer Security Best Practices

  • Keep your computer operating system and computer applications such as Microsoft Office, Adobe Flash, Apple Quick Time, Adobe Acrobat, etc., up to date to ensure the highest level of protection. Apply the latest patches particularly when and if they apply to a known exploitable vulnerability. Only apply updates from trusted sites and not from pop-ups or advertisements.
  • Install firewalls, commercial virus protection, adware detection, and spyware protection, and keep them up to date to ensure the highest level of protection.
  • Avoid downloading programs from unknown sources.
  • Limit administrative rights on computers to help prevent inadvertent downloading of malware.
  • Turn your computer off completely when you are finished using it.

Email Security Best Practices

  • Be wary of suspicious emails. Never open attachments, click on links, or respond to emails from suspicious or unknown senders. WoodTrust Bank will never ask you for your password or your answers to your security questions via email.
  • Immediately notify your WoodTrust Bank representative of any suspicious emails purporting to be from WoodTrust Bank.
  • Always encrypt emails that contain sensitive information. WoodTrust Bank offers a free encrypted email communication service for our clients. This allows you to send secure email communications to a WoodTrust Bank associate. To use this service, contact the bank to establish an account.

Mobile Security Best Practices

  • Never disclose sensitive information via text message.
  • Download mobile apps from reputable sources only and update and maintain them with the latest patches, particularly when and if they apply to a known exploitable vulnerability.
  • Frequently delete messages from your device, and especially before loaning out, discarding, or selling your mobile device.
  • Use the keypad lock or phone lock function on your mobile device when it is not in use.
  • Always store your mobile device in a secure location.
  • Immediately notify your mobile device provider if it is lost or stolen.

Scam Security Best Practices

  • First and foremost, use common sense. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
  • Never give personal information to a stranger who contacts you, whether by telephone, email, or other means.
  • You are responsible and liable for items you cash or deposit into your account; whether they are a check, money order, transfer, etc.
  • Don’t accept payments for more than the amount of the service with the expectation that you send the buyer the difference.
  • Don’t accept checks from individuals you’ve only met online.
  • Don’t accept jobs in which you are paid or receive commission for facilitating money transfers through your account.
  • Be wary of offers of mortgage modification, foreclosure rescue, or short sale scams involving money-back guarantees, title transfers, up-front fees, or high-pressure sales tactics.
  • No matter how urgent someone claims a deal or job offer is, you should research and confirm its legitimacy.

Person inputting credit card info into computer

Scam examples:

Job Scams: You accept a job in which you are paid to receive a commission to facilitate money transfers through your account, or apply for a job that asks you to set up a new bank account. Job scammers use reputable online job boards to offer work-at-home jobs or accounting positions. These job scams may require employees to receive money into their existing bank account (or open new accounts) and then transfer the money to another account, often overseas. As payment, the job seeker is instructed to keep a small percentage of the transfer.

Lottery or sweepstakes scams: You receive notice that you are the winner of a lottery that you did not enter, but must pay a small percentage for fake taxes or other fees before you can receive the rest of your prize.

Dating scams: Someone you met through an online dating site or chat room asks you to send money for a variety of reasons, including a need for urgent surgery or to make travel arrangements to meet in person.

Internet scams: You receive a check for something you sold over the internet, but the amount of the check is more than the selling price. You are instructed to deposit the check, but send back the difference in cash.
OR
You receive a check from a business or individual different from the person buying your item or product.
OR
You are instructed to transfer money, or receive a transfer of money, as soon as possible.

Telephone scams: Unless you initiated the contact, do not give out personal information over the telephone. If the call is not initiated by you, always ask for a call-back number.

www.woodtrust.com

Phone numbers:
715-423-7600 WoodTrust Bank – Main Office
715-423-6800 WoodTrust Bank – Trust & Investment
715-842-1790 WoodTrust Bank – Wausau Office

  • Official contact information on your statements
  • Phone numbers listed on your ATM, debit or credit card
  • The security of your accounts and personal information is one of WoodTrust’s top priorities. We promptly investigate any reported suspicious activity.

Report Suspicious Activity

Call WoodTrust Bank immediately if you notice suspicious activity related to your investment, retirement, credit card, deposit or loan accounts.

Monitor your accounts regularly.

Regularly reviewing your account activity is one of the best ways to notice and stop fraudulent activity quickly.

Frequently review your monthly statements or review activity online, 24 hours a day, with WoodTrust Bank online access to your deposit, loan, retirement, credit card, and investment accounts.

You can take action to protect your identity and your personal information.

Privacy Policy

At WoodTrust Bank, your privacy is our priority. As financial services professionals entrusted with sensitive financial information, we respect the privacy of our customers and are committed to treating customer information responsibly. Our Customer Information Privacy policies serve as standards for all WoodTrust Bank employees for the collection, use, retention, and security of individual customer information. View our Privacy Policy

Tips to Help You Protect Your Customer Information

Assistance to Victims of Identity Theft

If you suspect that someone has had unauthorized access to your account with us, or access to your personal identifying information such as your Social Security number or credit card information, please contact us immediately so we can take action to protect you. In addition you should report the crime to your local law enforcement agency and to the FTC Identity Theft Hotline at 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338). For more information visit www.ftc.gov and click on the “AVOID ID THEFT” link.

Ways to Limit Direct Marketing You May Receive From Outside Sources

WoodTrust does not share your personal nonpublic information with non-affiliated third parties. However, there are outside agencies and companies that are in the business of compiling mailing lists for purchase by marketers. You may wish to have your name removed from many of these lists by following the procedures outlined below.

Direct Marketers

The Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA) Mail, Email and Telephone Preference Services allow consumers to opt out of direct mail marketing, email marketing, and/or telemarketing solicitations. To remove your name from many national direct mail lists, you can do the following:

  • Opt out by phone or by the DMA website: www.dmachoice.org. The request is good for five years.
  • Download and mail a signed Permanent Opt-Out Election form, available by calling 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688). This will opt you out permanently.

To avoid unwanted phone calls from many national marketers, call the National Do Not Call Registry at 1-888-382-1222 or register online at www.donotcall.gov.

Pre-screened Credit Card Offers

To opt out of receiving pre-screened credit card offers, call 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688) or register online at www.optoutprescreen.com. The three major credit bureaus use the same toll-free number to let consumers choose not to receive pre-screened credit offers.

You must make these requests yourself. Your financial institution cannot do this for you.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every twelve months. The FCRA promotes the accuracy and privacy of information in the files of the nation’s consumer reporting companies. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, enforces the FCRA with respect to consumer reporting companies.

To obtain a free credit report, visit annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.