Customer Security Center

Cybersecurity & Privacy

The FFIEC Guidance suggests enhanced controls for Businesses:

  • Business customers should be encouraged to perform a periodic risk assessment and an evaluation of the effectiveness of the controls they have in place to minimize the risks of online transaction processing.
  • The password, website, computer and network tips above provide a starting point for this process and the web resource links provide additional detailed information.
  • Business customers should understand the security features of the software and websites they utilize and take advantage of these features. Segregation of duties—the process of separating duties so no one person can perform all steps of a transaction—is an example of a very important security feature.
  • Layered security options that may be available to business customers doing online transactions include transaction thresholds, out-of-band verification (such as telephone or email verifications), fraud detection and monitoring systems, and IP reputation–based services. The Guidance encourages establishing layered security processes.

Wired Access by Home Computer

Customers need to have a current anti-virus/anti-spyware scanning program, a current patched operating system, and a secure browser program.  The Windows firewall should be activated, or another software firewall should be on the computer along with Intrusion Prevention or Intrusion Detection.

Access by Wireless Home Network

Customers need to have all of the security measures applicable to the wired home computers plus the wireless router should have strong password protection, and it is recommended the wireless network have at least WPA or WPA-2 PSK encryption rather than WEP encryption.

Cell Phone Telephone Scam

Please be advised of a debit card and banking scam circulating throughout Pennsylvania.  The targeted individuals will receive a phone call, most likely on their cell phone, from someone indicating that their debit card has been deactivated.  The caller then asks the individual to verify their card number or provide an account number. In some cases a message is left on the individuals voice mail, asking then to call a given phone number, enter their debit card information and press 1.  This is a scam.  Please do not provide account information to callers claiming to be from Mercer County State Bank or any other financial institution.  If you receive a phone call and any information is given please report the incident to your local Mercer County State Bank branch immediately.

Protecting Your Account and Identity

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At Mercer County State Bank, the privacy and security of your information is very important to us. Our security practices are designed to ensure information about you is secure whether you choose to bank with us through our branch offices, ATMs, telephone, or the Internet. For your protection, no matter which channel you choose, we verify who you are before allowing you access to your accounts. Additionally, our systems use firewalls and encryption to protect information about you. At Mercer County State Bank, we also encourage you, the customer, to take steps in protecting information about you. You can find information on how to prevent identity theft and what to do if you are a victim of identity theft on the Federal Trade Commission website at www.ftc.gov/idtheft, or contact them toll-free at 877-438-4338. We have also provided the following tips that are designed to help you protect yourself from fraud and identity theft.

Preventing Identity Fraud on Your Account

Do not lend your Debit Card or share your passwords with anyone who is not authorized on your account.  Do not share your account numbers with anyone.

  • Report lost or stolen checks and Debit Cards immediately.
  • Review new checks to ensure none were stolen.
  • Be aware of the expiration date on your Debit Card. If you do not receive a reissued card before the expiration date, contact our Customer Care Center at 800-376-7015 Monday through Thursday 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM, Friday 8:30 AM – 6:30 PM and Saturday 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM.  After hours please call 800-554-8969 for lost or stolen Debit Cards.
  • Store new and cancelled checks safely.
  • Question suspicious emails or phone inquiries. Unless you initiate the contact, Mercer County State Bank will not request your personal information (account number, Debit Card number, and mother’s maiden name) through email, U.S. mail, or by phone. Please notify us immediately if you receive calls or emails claiming to originate from Mercer County State Bank requesting account information. Be especially wary of those requesting account information to “award a prize” or “verify a statement.”
  • Guard your Online Banking information. Avoid using obvious or easily obtainable information as your password. Do not share your passwords with anyone or write them down.
  • Do not write your Personal Identification Number (PIN) on the back of your Debit Card. Keep all PINs in a safe place, not in your wallet.
  • Shred anything with your account number or personal information before throwing it away.

Preventing Identity Theft

  • Do not give out financial information online or on the phone unless you initiated the contact and know the party you are dealing with.
  • Shred unnecessary financial documents, including old bank statements, invoices, unwanted pre-approved credit offers. For those documents you must keep, file in a safe place.
  • Promptly retrieve incoming mail and do not put outgoing mail in your residential mailbox.
  • If you do not receive your monthly billing statement, notify the company immediately.
  • Review all account statements and monthly billing statements immediately. Do not ignore suspicious charges. If doubtful or unauthorized charges  appear on your bill or statements, call immediately to resolve discrepancy.
  • Do not write personal numbers on your checks. Never preprint driver’s license or social security numbers on your checks.
  • Do not carry your social security card in your wallet; keep it in a safe place.
  • Review your credit report. Reviewing your credit report will tell you if anyone has applied for credit in your name and if any accounts are being used without your knowledge with the billing statement being sent to a different address. You can obtain a copy of your credit report at any time from one of the three major credit bureaus. If you have reason to believe you have been a victim of identity theft, please contact one of the three major bureaus and request a “fraud alert” or victim’s statement be placed on your credit reports. This will alert creditors to call for your approval if they receive applications to open new accounts.

Please contact our Customer Care Center at 800-376-7015 if you have additional questions about account security or identity theft.

Debit MasterCard Customers - We may be calling you

To protect your account, we monitor your Debit Card transactions for potentially fraudulent activity which may include a sudden change in locale (such as when a U.S. – issued card is used unexpectedly overseas), a sudden string of costly purchases, or any pattern associated with new fraud trends around the world. 

If we suspect fraudulent ATM or Debit Card use, we’ll be calling you to validate the legitimacy of your transactions.  Your participation in responding to our call is critical to prevent potential risk and avoid restrictions we may place on the use of your card.

  • Our automated call will ask you to verify recent transaction activity on your card
  • You’ll be able to respond via your touchtone keypad
  • You’ll also be provided with toll-free number to call should you have additional questions.

Our goal, quite simply is to minimize your exposure to risk and the impact of any fraud.  To ensure we can continue to reach you whenever potential fraud is detected, please keep us informed of your correct phone number and address at all times.

In the meantime, please be diligent in monitoring transaction activity on your account and contact Customer Care Center at 800-376-7015 immediately if you identify any fraudulent transactions.

What If My Wallet Is Stolen?

Be prepared. Make a log of everything in your wallet including driver’s license, debit cards, credit cards, Social Security card, etc. Be sure to include account numbers as well as the telephone contact information printed on the back of the card, so you have the information to quickly report the loss. Keep this log in a safe place other than your wallet. If you are traveling, carry a duplicate copy of your passport for identification. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your wallet is stolen, which proves to credit providers you were diligent.

Immediately call the three national credit-reporting Bureaus (listed above) and place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number. This alert notifies companies that check your credit that your information was stolen and that you must be contacted by phone before new credit can be authorized. 

Protect yourself

In the meantime, please be diligent in monitoring transaction activity on your account and contact us immediately if you identify any fraudulent transactions. Here are some additional tips on protecting yourself from debit card fraud.

Unless absolutely required for a legitimate business purpose, avoid giving out your:

  • Address and ZIP code
  • Phone number
  • Date of birth
  • Social Security number
  • Card or account number
  • Card expiration date
  • Your PIN is private; never give it out.

In stores and at ATMs, always cover your card and PIN, and watch for:

  • Cell phone cameras, mirrors, or other tools used to view cards and PINs
  • People watching your transactions
  • Cashiers taking your card out of sight; take it to the register yourself
  • Any unusual activity at ATMs; if you feel uncomfortable, go to another ATM

As always, please feel free to call the Customer Care Center at 800-376-7015 if you have any questions.

Online Internet Threats and Other Scams

Malware

Software that is intended to be harmful to a computer. Malware could be a virus, worm, Trojan horse, spyware or adware.  Some malware is designed to gather information from your computer or log your keystrokes to gain information such as usernames and passwords. It is important to have anti-virus/anti-malware software installed on your computer and keep it up-to-date in order to detect and block these types of threats.

Pharming

A form of online fraud that redirects a website’s traffic to a bogus website. The fraudulent website will look very similar to the legitimate website.  It is important to pay attention to the website address you are on before entering any information.

Phishing

An attempt to collect personal information such as usernames and passwords by an attacker claiming to be a trustworthy source. Phishing scams are generally initiated through an official-looking email that asks the victim to urgently click on a link and provide personal information. Other phishing scams originate in an email that asks the recipient to call a phone number to verify information. Often times the caller reaches an automated voice response system that asks them to provide personal identifying information.

Watch out for emails, calls, text messages, or other communication that urge you to act quickly because your account may be suspended or closed, or to update your personal information.

Mercer County State Bank will not ask you to provide usernames and passwords.  If you have any doubts or concerns about information that is being requested, contact our Customer Care Center at 800-376-7015.   For more information about pharming or phishing, please visit http://www.bos.frb.org/consumer/phishpharm/index.htm.

Vishing

Similar to Phishing, but conducted via telephone rather than through email.  The caller will claim to be from a trustworthy source and attempt to gain personal information.

Social Engineering

A way of manipulating people to share their personal information.  This may be someone posing as a trusted source or it may be someone who uses intimidation or fear to gain information.  For additional information on common scams, please visit http://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/fraud.

Unsolicited Email / Cybersecurity

At Mercer County State Bank, we value the safety and privacy of your personal information. In doing so, we wanted to remind you of our policies regarding non-public, personal information.

When you call us, come to a branch or visit us online, we may ask for some information to verify your identity. But we want to assure you that we will never call you or send you an email asking you to send us a response containing personal or private information.

In the past several months, several "scams" have been centered on phone calls or emails asking a customer to reveal account numbers, ATM or Debit Card numbers, passwords or other personal, private, non-public information. In some cases, scammers are sending fraudulent emails claiming to be from certain banks or banking agencies and then ask customers to visit a fraudulent website identical to the bank's authentic website in order to have customers provide their personal information.

We want to remind you never to disclose ANY personally identifying information if requested via an unsolicited email or phone call. This includes:

  • Mercer County State Bank account numbers or Debit card numbers
  • Personal Identification Numbers (PIN) or passwords
  • Social Security Number
  • Mother's Maiden Name
  • Other private information

Additionally, if you use Mercer County State Bank Online Anytime, log out when finished and close your browser before leaving your computer. Never leave your computer unattended during a Mercer County State Bank Online session.

If you ever get an unsolicited phone call or email claiming to be from Mercer County State Bank asking you for personal identifying or account information, please do not respond. Call us at 1-724-376-7015 (locally) or 1-800-376-7015 to let us know and to be sure you are communicating with Mercer County State Bank. Also, be wary of any email asking you to log into Mercer County State Bank Online if it does not link to the official Mercer County State Bank site located at https://www.mcsbank.bank.

Online & Mobile Banking Cybersecurity

Security is very important to Mercer County Sate Bank. Because your online and mobile banking passwords are used to access your accounts, you should treat them as you would any other sensitive personal data. You should carefully select a password that is hard to guess. Keep your password safe. Memorize your password and never tell it to anyone. You should not under any circumstances disclose your password by telephone or to anyone claiming to represent Mercer County State Bank.  We do not need and will not ask for your password.

Mobile banking on your smartphone provides the convenience of online banking to you on the go. Our mobile banking app provides you with a flexible and feature-rich environment that allows the functionality of our traditional online banking environment. Our smart phones act as ultra-portable computers allowing us to conduct business without restricting us to a full-size computer. However, these devices which provide mobile productivity can also be impacted by the same attacks as our traditional desktop computer. Here are some helpful tips to help keep you safe while enjoying the freedom of mobile banking:

  • Only install Mercer County State Bank Mobile Banking Application from a known source such as the Apple Store or Google Play Store.
  • Don’t open suspicious e-mail or attachments on your mobile device.
  • Use caution when visiting an unknown site.
  • Consider installing antivirus software for your mobile device.
  • Only install applications from verified sources like the Apple Store of Google Play Store.
  • Pay close attention to the permissions you are granting the application when it is installed.
  • Use a passcode, PIN, or fingerprint to unlock your smartphone.