Central National Bank is aware of internet watch groups and cyber security experts that have already identified multiple fake domains/websites, and charity efforts taking advantage of the Boston Marathon bombing. Based on our experience with previous tragedies, more scams will follow in the coming days. Internet users need to use a critical eye and conduct due diligence before clicking links, visiting websites, or making donations.

All Internet users should follow the guidelines below when reacting to large news events and solicitations for donations:

• Be cautious of emails/websites that claim to provide event-related information.
•  Do not open unsolicited (spam) emails, or click on the links/attachments contained in those messages.
•    Never reveal personal or financial information in email.
• Do not go to websites that you are unfamiliar with to view the event or information regarding it.
• Never send sensitive information over the Internet before checking a website’s security and confirming its legitimacy. Malicious websites may look identical to a legitimate site, but the URL may use a variation in spelling or a different domain (e.g., .com vs. .net)

If you believe you have fallen victim to a scam related to a recent tragedy and you have provided any of your personal financial information to the scammers, you can contact Central National Bank’s Customer Care Center to report it.  Based on the information compromised, we will provide a unique solution to best protect you and your financial well being.

Reports can also be made via email to fraud@cnb-enid.com

As the holiday shopping season begins, several organizations have released tips to raise consumers’ awareness of and protect themselves against phishing scams and malware campaigns.

A blog by US CERT (The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team) identifies several ways malware may be delivered to unsuspecting consumers, including infected holiday-themed electronic greeting cards, media, and screensavers. Phishing scams may arrive under the guise of requests for charitable contributions, credit card applications, and online shopping advertisements. The blog includes several tips on how consumers may protect themselves and provides a link to their Shopping Safely Online site for more information.

The following scams top McAfee’s list of the top 12 Christmas scams for consumers to be on the lookout for:

1. Social media scams

2. Malicious mobile apps

3. Travel scams

4. Holiday spam/phishing

5. The new iPad, iPhone 5, and other hot holiday gift scams

Click here to see the full list and read McAfee’s tips to consumers on protecting themselves during the holiday and year-round.

In its article, “Stay safe online on Cyber Monday”, Consumer Reports offers online shoppers several safety tips that apply anytime you are shopping online, including:

• Never use the same password for multiple sites.
• Create and use separate e-mail addresses.
• Never use any part of your name or any other easily guessed word in your password.
• Use a strong password, including a mixture of letters, numbers, and special characters.
• Verify that the site you’re doing business with is a known and trusted retailer.

Before you donate:

Give to only charities you know and trust, such as the American Red Cross.

• Check a charity before you donate. The Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance is readily available on the Internet.
• Be alert for charities that seem to have sprung up overnight.
• Ask if the caller is a paid fundraiser, who he or she works for, and what percent of your donation goes to the charity vs. the fundraiser.
• Don’t give out personal or financial information unless you know the charity is reputable.
•  Be on alert for charities with similar sounding names, such as The United States Red Cross or the American Cancer Service.
• Never send cash. You can’t be sure the organization will receive your donation, and you won’t have a record for tax purposes. 

If you need to hire a contractor, be sure to:

• Ask for copies of the contractor’s general liability and worker’s compensation insurance.
• Check the contractor’s identification and references.
• Avoid paying more than the minimum in advance.
• Deal with reputable people in your community.
• Call local law enforcement and the Better Business Bureau if you suspect a con.

 Source:  http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2012/10/hurricane_sandy.shtm

Simunek graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in agriculture business and a minor in finance. He lives in Hennessey, Okla.

“Matt interned for us while he was in college. We are incredibly fortunate to have him come to work for us full-time. He is going to make great lender,” said Lawrence Yunker, Senior Vice President.

How the Scam Works: 

Consumers are being contacted via telephone, fliers, social media and text messages and various other means with claims that President Obama is providing credits or applying payment to utility bills. 

To receive the money, scammers claim to need the consumer’s Social Security Number (SSN), financial institution routing number and account number. In return, the consumers are given a fraudulent financial institution routing number to use in order to pay their utility bills through an automated telephone service.

The payment service initially seems to accept the payment but then declines it within a few days of finding the banking information to be invalid. The consumer’s bill has not been paid and his/her SSN and personal financial information have been compromised. 

Helpful Tips: 

The BBB offers the following tips to help consumers avoid becoming victim of this scam:

Never provide your SSN, credit card number or banking information to anyone who calls you, regardless of whom they claim to be representing.

If you receive a call claiming to be your utility company and feel pressured for immediate payment or personal information, hang up and call the customer service number on your utility bill.

Never allow anyone into your home to check electrical wiring, natural gas pipes or appliances unless you have scheduled an appointment or reported a problem. Also, ask the employee for proper identification.

Think safety first, always. Do not give in to high pressure tactics for information over the phone or in person.

Simunek graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in agriculture business and a minor in finance. He lives in Hennessey, Okla.

“Matt interned for us while he was in college. We are incredibly fortunate to have him come to work for us full-time. He is going to make great lender,” said Lawrence Yunker, Senior Vice President.

About Central National Bank

Chartered in 1913, CNB has served Oklahoma for nearly 100 years. A full-service FDIC-insured financial institution with over $550 million in assets, CNB offers traditional banking products such as checking and savings accounts, Time Deposits and loan products including HUD MAP lending, agricultural, transportation and heavy equipment lending. CNB also issues and processes prepaid cards for universities, employers and program managers. Central National Bank has branches in Enid, Blackwell, Bartlesville, Mooreland, Woodward and Tulsa.

The business social networking company, LinkedIn, announced yesterday that it is looking into reports of stolen passwords.  According to an Associated Press wire release, the breach has not yet been confirmed, but could impact as many as six million users or more.

While LinkedIn hasn’t yet required users to change passwords, Central National Bank’s Information Security office is asking customers and employees with a LinkedIn account to change their passwords at the first opportunity.  A password change is accessible from the LinkedIn site and/or from the LinkedIn app on your mobile device.

Furthermore, CNB customers and employees should not click on any emails seemingly from LinkedIn as scammers could leverage this event to obtain access to other information.

For more information, contact the CNB Fraud team at fraud@cnb-enid.com.

The event, held at the Cherokee Strip Conference Center in Enid, is an initiative of the University of Oklahoma Outreach National Resource Center for Youth Services. Their mission is “Enhancing the quality of life of our nation’s youth and their families by improving the effectiveness of human services.”

Independopolis is a life skills simulation for youth, ages 16-18, in OKDHS foster care. It is designed as a practice event in which youth show up with their personal independent living plan and work towards independence. In the afternoon, participants played a game of Resource Fair Bingo, where they visited community resource exhibits and completed challenges. They goal of Independopolis is to provide opportunities for new life skill experiences and create new connections with community resources that youth may not otherwise have until they’re on their own.

Independoplois was conducted in five locations across Oklahoma. The Enid event incorporated all of the Seven Key Elements of the curriculum into an interactive, hands-on simulation. The key elements included: essential documents, education, employment, health, housing, life skills, and permanent connections. Youth were able to complete applications for checking accounts, apply to higher education, interview for jobs, fill out a rental application, and secure housing.

“This has been an extraordinary experience,” said Mickie Giberson, AVP of Compliance at CNB. “The team from OU Outreach has done a terrific job of pulling together resources to serve the foster youth that are attending. As part of our Make a Difference Initiative, the CNB employees who participated really showed their passion for service to the community. I’m very proud to be part of this company.”

About Central National Bank

Chartered in 1913, CNB has served Oklahoma for nearly 100 years. A full-service FDIC-insured financial institution with over $560 million in assets, CNB offers traditional banking products such as checking and savings accounts, Time Deposits and loan products including HUD MAP lending, agricultural, transportation and heavy equipment lending. CNB also issues and processes prepaid cards for universities, employers and program managers. Central National Bank has branches in Enid, Blackwell, Bartlesville, Mooreland, Woodward and Tulsa. For more information please visit the bank’s website at www.cnb-ok.com.

It all started with a spark, just one tiny blue flame igniting a passion that grew into a mature and sustainable Enid, Oklahoma, business. Trampas Cross, owner of Cross Fabrication, a custom steel fabrication and welding company, has banked with CNB since 2009. A low interest rate business line of credit allowed him to access cash when necessary in his company’s infancy. Insufficient capital is the number two reason why businesses fail, second only to lack of experience. That being said, a business line of credit can be a life line for companies just getting started and can mean the difference between success and failure.

Failure quite simply wasn’t in Cross’s vocabulary. He grew Cross Fabrication from a garage-based part-time endeavor into a multi-faceted enterprise with four full-time employees. Cross did everything right in order to ensure the success and growth of his business including putting in the sweat equity that is so critical for small business owners. He created a business plan, sought out expertise in legal and accounting sectors, evaluated the benefits to being a sole proprietorship over a corporation, and hired the right people. He did all of that while working as a full-time fire fighter for the City of Enid.

In July, Cross Fabrication will move from its current 3,600 sq. ft. location on North Highway 81 to a 10,000 sq. ft. facility on 4^th Street in Enid.

For more information about Cross Fabrication, call Trampas at 580-548-7660. For questions about a business line of credit from CNB, or another product to help grow your business, call Lawrence Yunker at 580-213-1643.

Fraudsters are attempting to get personal information from you, including your PIN numbers, bank account numbers, Social Security number, etc. You can spot this type of fraudulent e-mail by asking yourself these questions:

• Do they fail to address me by name?

• Is this person asking for my personal information?

• Do they warn that my account will be shut down unless I reconfirm my financial information?

• Do they warn that I am a victim of fraud?

Here are a few tips. Do not share any personal information through e-mails, text messages, social networks or phone calls. Don’t open e-mails or attachments from unknown sources. Keep your computer anti-virus software up to date. Always log off of banking and/or credit card websites after you are finished with your secure online session. Be careful about giving out your e-mail address to questionable sources.

If you receive a communication asking for your personal information (card information, PIN, Social Security Number, etc…), please send an email to fraud@cnb-enid.com. DO NOT RESPOND TO ANY OF THESE TYPES OF MESSAGES.