Learn ways to protect your personal information from identity theft from the topics below:

- Email Fraud
- Identity Theft
- Protecting Your Identity
- Fake Check Scams


Protecting Your Password
For your protection, we recommend that you do not share your online banking password, or give out your password by email or phone. "Phishing" is a term for hoax emails that look like they are coming from a trusted institution, like your bank, to try to get you to send sensitive information such as a password. Fremont Bank will NEVER ask for your online banking password via email, phone, or pop-up window even if there is a need to re-set your account.

Tips for keeping your password unique and safe:

• Length- Ideally your password should range from 8 to 14 characters; the longer the better. The maximum length for PAM passwords is 17 characters. You can create a phrase for a password by using the space bar and combining words; it is often easier to remember.
• Combine letters and numbers- Increasing the variety of characters in your password or password phrase makes it harder to guess. If you choose to only have 1 letter or number in your alphanumeric combination, as explained above, a longer password is recommended.
• Avoid using look-alike substitutions of numbers or symbols- For example, don't use a zero to replace an "o" or a 1 to replace an "I". This is a common password design that malicious users are aware of.
• Avoid using sequences- Don't use a well known sequence such as "1234", "abcd", or letters next to each other on the keyboard like "asdf". Also, don't repeat parts of your password like "cat12cat".
• Writing down your password- if you choose to write your password down, make sure it is adequately protected in order to remain secure and effective.
• Do not allow your brower to automatically save your password.
• Do not leave your computer unattended while you are logged into online banking.
• Change your password regularly.

Check the strength of your password by using Microsoft's Password Checker. It is a non recording feature that determines the strength of your password as you type.

Online Banking Security Tips:
The login fields for Fremont Bank's personal and business online banking customers have moved to our home page. Although you will not see a "lock" key on your browser frame or an "https" address as you would on some websites, please be assured that your login information is secure. Once your Access ID and Password are entered and the "sign in" button clicked, your login information is transmitted via a secure connection into our online
banking server.

If you are still hesitant to input your personal information on our home page, please feel free to use one of the
links below:

- Personal Banking (PAM)
- Business Banking (BOB)

To help safeguard you personal and financial data, we will automatically, "End" your session whenever a security risk may be present. Here are some actions that may be deemed a security risk:

• clicking a link twice
• pressing the browser's back, forward or refresh button

Each of these actions may cause your session to terminate. To re-establish your session, simply return to the
login page.

Online Shopping Tips:
The threat of identity theft and account fraud increases when shopping online. It is important to make sure your computer and personal information is protected against harmful computer viruses and people trying to steal your identity.

Below are some security tips to help protect your identity and account information:

• When shopping online only use Internet merchants you know and trust. If in doubt, check with the Better Business Bureau.
• Use secure websites for transactions and make sure internet purchases are secured to protect your account information.
• Never share any personal information through email or over the phone unless you have initiated the contact.
• Avoid passwords that are easy to guess.  Learn more about creating unique and secure
  passwords below.
• Keep your debit card in a safe place and guard your Personal Identification Numbers (PIN)s.
• If your card is lost or stolen, or if you suspect unauthorized transactions, contact Fremont Bank immediately
• Review account statements carefully. Regular account review helps to quickly detect and stop
  fraudulent activity.
• Keep your anti-virus protection software up to date with the most current versions and scan your
  computer frequently.
• Avoid downloading programs from unknown sources.
• Protect your online passwords and security questions.

It is also very important to make sure your computer has software in place to safeguard against the increased threat of viruses.

• Visit Symantec's site to learn more information about defending you computer from computer viruses.
• Visit Adobe's site for all the latest Adobe patches. This is especially important if you use Adobe Reader products to view PDF files as it helps protect against vulnerabilities associated with the tool.

Important Information - For Visa Check Card Users:
Visa® has notified Fremont Bank that Heartland Payment Systems, an independent merchant card processor, experienced a security breach in their organization. As a result, Visa® has provided Fremont Bank with a list of card numbers that may have been affected by the compromise. Fremont Bank is taking every precaution, notifying those individual clients affected, informing them that their Visa® card will be closed, and a replacement card will be mailed within the next few days.

Please carefully review your account activity and immediately report any discrepancies. Should you have questions concerning the compromise, please visit the Heartland Payment System site at www.2008breach.com. If you received Fremont Bank's notification that your card was compromised and you have questions, please call us at 866-617-7290.