BankersOnline Security Spotlight

This month we feature the ladies...lady robbers, that is. The economy has brought out the best in some and the worst in others; worry and desperation leads people to do things they wouldn't normally do, and these are not hardened criminals, just plain folks. Be on the alert, however, because not being used to doing something illegal, or carrying a weapon, they are very nervous - and therefore, more dangerous.
Ladies' Day at the Banks?
Nationwide, only 6.2% of all bank robberies are committed by women. A big difference between the motives of male and female robbers is that most females say they wanted to rob a bank to pay bills, but males say they rob banks for the thrill of it or to get money to pay for an addiction such as drugs or gambling. Women tend to be very careful when planning their hold-ups and many even prepare notes ahead of time. A similarity between men and women robbers is that both usually just hand the teller a note knowing that most banks instruct employees to hand over cash rather than risk injuries. Right now on BOL's Robbery page there are six female robbery suspects, including the "Hoody Bandit", who is suspected of robbing as many as five banks in Oregon since October 2008. In each case, she walks into the bank approaches a teller, leans on the counter and demands cash. She leaves each bank on foot and never shows a weapon. The Financial Institutions Security Task Force (FIST) is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of this suspect. Click here to take a look at the FBI's latest bank crime statistics.


Although violent female robbers are uncommon, this suspect proves that it does happen. In Columbus, Ohio, a woman entered a Kroger store and walked up to the bank branch located inside and waited in line. When it was her turn, she walked up to the teller and handed her a note. The note stated that if the teller didn't cooperate, a bomb that was placed in a nearby trash can would be detonated. The teller complied and gave the robber money from her drawer which the robber placed into a large purse and then fled.

Check our Bank Robbery page for photos and information on all the latest robbery suspects and don't forget to order your "No Hats" signageas featured in the NBC Nightly News report on bank robberies.Protect your institution by posting signage prohibiting hats, hoods and sunglasses. The effectiveness of this simple sign on your door is unsurpassed. Available now in the Banker Store.
Update Now!
The 2009 ID Checking Guide is now shipping.


ORDER NOW
Quantity discounts available.
INTERNATIONAL EDITION
of the ID Checking Guide
available now in the
Banker Store.
This month, Harbor National Bank in South Carolina reports counterfeit cashier's checks in connection with a mystery shopping scam. The correspondence accompanying these checks may contain the letterhead "Consumer Service Research Inc." with an address in Hartford, South Dakota, two different phone numbers with a 289 area code, and they may be signed by Pam Davids, Head Assignment Coordinator. The letter informs the recipient that he or she has been selected to represent the company as a mystery shopper. It is further explained that the enclosed cashier's check should be used to make purchases at various merchants and to also transfer money using a nationally known wire service. Recipients are further instructed to call one of the two numbers from the correspondence and to press "1" to connect to a coordinator for more detailed instructions. In addition, Springs Valley Bank & Trust Company in Indiana reports a similar scam in which counterfeit cashier's checks associated with a sweepstakes scam that bears the institution's name are in circulation.

Go to BOL's Alerts & Counterfeits page to read more about the above alerts and view a void copy of the counterfeits items.



You can now search our Alerts & Counterfeits Database, by type of alert, by state, or by date as well as using a keyword search.

Click here to access the new, searchable Alerts & Counterfeits Database.
We?ve also developed a handy Alerts & Counterfeits Widget that can be accessed from our new BankersOnline Toolbar.The toolbar installs in either the IE or Firefox browser and includes easy access to the most valuable BankersOnline resources.

As your bank's Security Officer, you have to deal with many types ofcomplaints. Now you can compare yours to that of the FTC and perhaps usetheir report plus yours to develop your own strategy. This is valuabletraining information, for your bank and your customers. You can avoid lossesbefore they occur with education. What are the biggest complaints; how areyour customers contacted; what are the common age groups and what states seethe highest frequency? It is all in the Security Blog.

When you think of educating customers about avoiding scams, do you focus on "consumers," "customers," or "business accounts?" Hopefully "customers"includes the other two groups. After reading the posts in the Anti-PhishingBlog, you'll want to ensure your business customers know about warnings fromthe SBA and your consumers know that phishers use parking tickets to stealinformation on their accounts, too. Read about this in the Anti-Phishing Blog.

Is BSA a part of your responsibilities? Did you attend the BOL Top GunConference last week? You can read about it in the Banker Blog and plan on nextyear, if you like what you read.



Remember that bankers are good about sharing what works for them. Thismonth:

• "Devil Queen" shared a template to get your policy on theUnlawfulInternet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) started.
• Paul Jarosz shares his Clean Desk Policy & Privacy Citation andCommendation. You need a policy to manage those desk files and theinformation left out to prying eyes. And because what gets checked, getsdone, there are both "gotcha" and "good job" notices here.

Available in the Banker Store ...


Controlling Card Program Fraud Losses




Risk Manaagaement on the Frontline


HIPAA Privacy Act