IMPORTANT NOTICE

We have received several reports from our clients regarding a check scam they received in the mail. Please do not become a victim of one of these scams. If you do not know who sent you a check, there is a very good chance that it is fraudulent. If the check is deposited into your account, the funds will be removed once the Bank receives notification of the fraud. For further information please contact one of our client service representatives at 1-800-997-7121.

Password Security Change

To comply with Federal guidance designed to decrease the risk of identity theft and cyber fraud, Oregon Pacific Bank is changing the required characters that you choose for your online banking password. Effective January 5, 2012, all new passwords, reset passwords or password change requests will require a minimum of 8 characters, a maximum of 17 characters, and include at least one alpha, one numeric and one special character, such as !, @, #, $, %, ^, &, *, etc.

A stronger password is an important way to protect your online transactions. At this time, we will not require existing passwords to be changed, but we request that you do all that you can to protect your online access by creating a more complex password. Below are ideas of how to create a more complex password:

• Length. Make your passwords long with eight or more characters.
• Complexity. Include letters, punctuation, symbols, and numbers. Use the entire keyboard, not just the letters and characters you use or see most often. The greater the variety of characters in your password, the better.
• Variation. To keep strong passwords effective, change them often. Set an automatic reminder for yourself to change your passwords on your email, banking, and credit card websites about every three months.
• Variety. Do not use the same password for everything. Cybercriminals steal passwords on websites that have very little security, and then they use that same password and user name in more secure environments, such as banking websites.
• Do not use personal information. You should never use personal information as a part of your password. It is very easy for someone to guess things like your last name, pet's name, child's birth date and other similar details.
  

Avoiding Phishing Scams

Do not become a victim of a phishing scam. Phishing is when someone impersonates a business to trick you into giving out your personal information. They typically use email or telephone to ask for your personal or financial information. Legitimate businesses do not ask you to send sensitive information through insecure channels, such as an unencrypted email.

To learn more, please go to www.onguardonline.gov.