1st Security Bank Makes a Great Impression in Poulsbo!

1st Security Bank is proud to announce the relocation and grand opening of our new Poulsbo branch. The 3,500 square foot branch, complete with clock tower and outdoor patio - which boasts a fantastic view, sits atop the hill at College Market Place in Poulsbo. The branch is full-service, and includes two drive-up banking lines with drive-thru ATM, a 24-hour ATM, safe deposit boxes, private offices for commercial banking, loans, and mortgages, and much more. The warm, friendly atmosphere that has always characterized 1st Security will only be enhanced. As customers enter the spacious lobby, staff will personally greet them and direct them to the banking services they seek.

When it comes to providing the best in customer service, 1st Security Bank has raised the bar. We stand firmly behind our commitment to cater to the needs of our valued customers, and want to show them how a bank should handle their personal and business relationship.

Conveniently located next to Home Depot, Wal-Mart, and more, the new location is prime, and makes banking even more accessible for our customers. The new branch address is 21650 Market Place in Poulsbo, and branch hours are Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday (drive-thru only) 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Would you fall for this?

Financial scams are nothing new, although their proliferation has been made exponentially easier with email. As a financial institution, we’re very concerned about the number of scam letters and emails out there today. Although not our job, we’ve managed to help a number of people avoid being bilked out of thousands of dollars because they intended to participate in the offers. Let’s take a few minutes to share the basics of how most prevalent scams work so you can avoid becoming their next victim.

1. Lottery scam letters. You receive a letter saying you’ve won some large amount of money. This supposed lottery organization (often in Canada) encloses a large check, and instructs you to call to get the verification code. The catch is that before you can cash the check, you must first wire a large sum of money (some percentage of the lottery “prize”) to them to “cover the taxes”. What’s going on? The checks look like legitimate business checks but the drawer name bears no relationship to a lottery organization. These are stolen or counterfeit checks bearing name and account number of a legitimate company, but the checks have been fraudulently produced by criminals. The check is not worth the paper it’s printed on so you’ll get nothing out of it. But, if you comply with their instructions, you will have wired them a large sum of your hard-earned money, only to never see your cash again.
2. Money order/cashier’s check scam. With this scam you actually receive money orders or cashier’s checks in the mail with a letter from a company (often a foreign company) asking you for your assistance. They claim they don’t have a bank account and need your help by cashing either the money orders or cashiers check. They ask you to cash the items and wire them 90% of the money back, keeping 10% for your fee. Anyone who falls for this will find that the money orders or cashier’s checks are fraudulent so, if cashed, they would be charged back against your bank account, and meanwhile you would have wired them a large sum of YOUR money.
3. “Nigerian” scam. You receive a letter or email politely soliciting your help. They request your help in moving large sums of money out of their country. They promise you, for example, a 10% fee for your assistance, but they also request that you send your bank account number and some money to cover the transaction and transfer costs and attorney’s fees. Again, if you send them money you’ll be the big loser as you’ll never hear from them again. Nigerian scams are some of the biggest money scams in the last 10 years. The scam artists send out over 10,000 emails a day and feel good with a 1% response. These are complicated, layered organizations that move on quickly so according to law enforcement, they’re impossible to track down.
4. Jury duty scam. This time you receive a telephone call from someone identifying himself as with the court system. They indicate that you’ve been chosen for jury duty, and they just need to confirm your name, social security number, date of birth and credit card number. If you refuse, they threaten you with fines. Obviously, no one from the judicial system would a) call you by phone to inform you of jury duty, and b) need your credit card information. It’s a hoax. Hang up!
5. “Phishing” scams. Phishing is an Internet scam in the form of an email or pop-up box. The emails and pop-ups link to sites that look like businesses and ask you to provide or confirm personal, financial, or password information. Beware of these lures to get you to reply:
   • Threatening to close your account unless you provide personal information immediately.
   • Claiming to need updated personal information on your account. 1st Security Bank and other legitimate companies will NOT ask for this information via email.
   • Offering a service that can only be provided with your personal information.
6. Additional points to keep in mind:
   • Be wary of clicking on links in email messages.
   • Always type addresses directly into your browser or use personal bookmarks.
   • Don’t email personal or financial information. Email is not a secure method of transmitting personal information.
   • Report suspicious activity to the FTC. If you get spam “phishing” for information, forward it to spam@uce.gov.
   • Always ensure you are using a secure Web site when submitting credit card or other sensitive information via your Web browser. To make sure you’re on a secure Web server, check the beginning of the Web address in your browser’s address bar — it should be “https://” (notice the “s”) rather than just “http://”

In conclusion, you’ve worked hard to earn what you have. Don’t believe offers such as these “effortless income” scams. The thought of easy money might be appealing, but success generally requires hard work. When you receive a solicitation such as this, don’t give it an ounce of thought. And please, NEVER give your bank account number, debit card number or credit card number to someone who calls you. Again, just hang up. You’ll be glad you saved yourself the pain and heartache of losing thousands of dollars to a crook.

You name it, we’ve got it!

Although 1st Security Bank places a high degree of importance on excellent customer service, the fact of the matter is that technology is driving the future of our industry. Today’s consumers and businesses demand convenient access to their financial information in a secure environment.

1st Security Bank is proud to offer to our customers:

• Online Banking
• 24-Hour Telephone Banking
• Online Statements
• Online Bill Pay
• Online Check Images

Online Banking is one of the fastest growing segments of the Internet. Businesses and consumers are rapidly becoming more comfortable accessing their financial information over the Internet than ever before. Because of this, 1st Security Bank places a high emphasis on security. We use what’s called “multi-factor authentication” for our online services. This ensures that you are the correct user logging into your account information.

Technology products and services enable our customers to access their account information (deposits and loans) 24/7 at their convenience. All of the personal online services we offer are available at no charge, including Online Banking and Online Bill Pay. Business online services are available, contact a business specialist for pricing.  We explain these services in-depth on our site, including how you can enroll in each.

Our Online Banking and 24-Hour Phone Banking systems provide valuable information including account and loan balances, posted checks, deposits and electronic transactions, interest earned or paid, and many more features you are able to access from your computer or telephone. Online Statements provide instant access to your monthly statement via a secure connection.

If you are interested in learning more about any of our online or telephone services, please call our Client Service Department at 800.683.0973 or visit your local 1st Security Bank branch. We would be happy to answer any questions you may have and assist you with the enrollment process.