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Smishing is cyber crime carried out through text messages on your phones and tablet.

Here’s more:

Cybercrime aimed at mobile devices is skyrocketing – especially among texting and SMS messages since the technology works among all devices and tablets. Since this form of cyber attack reaches you on your phone or tablet, it has the capability to catch you when you’re in a hurry or not paying as close attention making you more likely to get caught off gaurd.

To get to the point, cyber criminals are out there to steal your personal data which will eventually get them enough information to steal money – sometimes yours but also sometimes your company’s.

Here’s how you can protect yourself!

• When you get an unsolicited message, don’t act swiftly – act with caution.
• No financial institution or merchant will ask you to update your account information
• Never click a reply link or phone number in a message you are unsure about
• Look out for suspicious calling or texting numbers
• Refuse to take the bait – don’t respond

Meet Jon, Assistant Retail Banking Manager at Independence, Main Branch. Jon says his work ethic can be attributed to his family and especially his dad. Jon strives to ensure he is doing what is best for his customers and if he has a super power, he says he wishes he was a human lie-detector. Jon says in his free time, he enjoys playing Farming Simulator and drinking a bourbon neat.

Who has influenced you the most when it comes to your work ethic?
My dad was a big influence on my work ethic growing up. He always stressed the importance of diligence, and doing your best work. If you aren’t proud of what you did, you aren’t done yet.

What drives you to work hard?
I want to make sure I provide for my family. I am a sponge, so I want to absorb and learn as much as I can about what I am doing, and why it works that way

What inspires you at work?
I always want to make sure I am doing what is best for my customers

What drove you down this career path?
I have always enjoyed and been good at math. In high school, I job shadowed an uncle who was a loan officer and I enjoyed it, so I decided finance was a good path to take! I always went into finance with the idea of becoming a loan officer. Once I began working in the bank, i realized how much more there was to banking than lending and tellers. I love the operations side of the bank now and dont plan to change!

If you could add one thing to the workspace, what would it be?
a bar? I feel like we all wish we had a drink at some point during the work week…

If you could pick a superpower, what would you choose?
I think I would want to be a human lie detector. It would be really informative to be able to tell, perfectly, if a person is telling the truth or not. It would allow for so much additional information to be able to make the most informed decisions

Name one dead celebrity you would like to have dinner with!
I think Robin Williams would be a wonderful person to have a chat around dinner with. He was so funny, yet knew when to be serious.

If you were an animal, what would you be?
I would want to be an eagle. They are large, powerful, graceful, beautiful creatures.

Imagine you could step in a teleport for a day and go to any place and time in history. Where and when would you travel to?
I would love to travel to ancient Greece. I have always loved the architecture, and I think it would be incredible to see the colosseum full of people during a show

What is the nerdiest thing you do in your free time?
I enjoy playing video games. I play one game called Farming Simulator where your mission is to operate a farm, animals crops or both and make it profitable. The possibilities are endless, and I have many hours logged to show that

When you grew up, you hoped to become a …
a farmer. Unfortunately, my family farm was not large enough to sustain my grandfather, father and me, so I looked for other opportunities so I could pursue my dream in my spare time/future

Name one of your guilty pleasures
I like to enjoy a nice glass of bourbon. Almost always neat. The longer aged and stronger proof, normally means a better quality bourbon. I want to start a collection of bourbon.

How do you like to start your day?
Being happy and grateful 

Who has influenced you the most when it comes to your work ethic?
My Dad 

What drives you to work hard
My family

What inspires you at work?
Everyone around me

What drove you down this career path?
I was offered a job at the bank many years ago

What’s your biggest pet peeve at work?
If my desk gets messy when I’m working

If you could add one thing to the workspace, what would it be?
A space heater!  Lol         

If you could pick a superpower, what would you choose?
fly

Name one dead celebrity you would like to have dinner with!
Robin Williams 

If you were an animal, what would you be?
A dog

Imagine you could step in a teleport for a day and go to any place and time in history. Where and when would you travel to?
Anytime with any of my Grandparents that have passed away.

What’s the coolest thing about your job?
I get to learn all different aspects of the bank.  

What is the best gift you ever received?
My Children & Grandchildren

What is the nerdiest thing you do in your free time?
Clean & organize

That one song that’s the soundtrack to your life?  Describe.
“Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey Don’t ever stop believing in Yourself 

What’s the one thing you’re grateful for today?
My family 

When you grew up, you hoped to become a …
Secretary or a teacher 

The most courageous or embarrassing moment you remember while at school?
Probably dropping my retainer in the trashcan and having to dig it out, Yuck!

Name one of your guilty pleasures
Chocolate

Avoid these financial traps!

Headed to college in the fall? Make your financial stability a priority! The American Bankers Association has identified 6 pitfalls to be aware of to help new students secure their future.

Get a budget!
Don’t spend more than you make. Figure out how much money you can afford to spend each month while contributing to your savings.

Start an emergency fund!
Start saving for an emergency fund. Make it a priority to put away a little bit each month no matter how small the amount. This will help you avoid going into debt when your car breaks down or for an unforeseen medical expense. FirstOak Bank can help you setup a savings account.

Pay your bills each month and on-time!
Missed payments can hurt your credit and can affect your ability to get credit in the future. This can mean credit for a new car, a home, and more. Consider setting up automatic payments

Don’t rack up debt!
Spend only what you can afford to pay back and check with a FirstOak Bank representative for accounts that fit your need and lifestyle.

Think about the future!
It may seem odd to think about your future since you’re just starting your career but thinking about your future now will prevent debt and other financial issues later.

Get help from your bank!
FirstOak Bank offers a number of services and tools to help you manage your finances and keep your budget and emergency fund on track!

Just as a reminder: FirstOak Bank will never text or email and ask for your personal information!

NEVER give away personal or financial information through email, over the phone, or via text. FirstOak Bank or other legitimate businesses will never ask for this information via these methods. Also, do not download links from suspicious emails or fill personal information into websites that these emails may direct you to. Reach out to FirstOak Bank or the company directly if you are unsure.

Did you know that Elder Financial Exploitation affects at least 10% of older adults each year in the US and cost our older friends more than $3B each year?

Here are two of the most popular ways our elders are exploited:

Elder Theft
Elder Theft is stealing an older adult’s assets, funds and / or income by a trusted person.  It is often a family member, caregiver, friend, neighbor, financial services provider or other business associate – someone who typically has contact with the person’s finances who is abusing their position of trust.

Elder Scams
Elder Scams involve the transfer of money to a stranger or imposter for a promised benefit or good that the older adult didn’t receive.  Typically scammers are located outside of the United States and have no known relationship to the victim and reach out through a phone call, robo call, text, email, regular mail, through online dating apps and even through social media.  The scammers try to impersonate a person of authority like a government official, police officer or technical support rep – someone who is trusted in society and the perpetrators create high pressure situations where the victim must act immediately.  

Common Elder Scams:

1. Government imposter scam
2. Romance Scam through dating sites
3. Emergency / person in-need
4. Lottery Sweepstakes
5. Tech and customer support

FirstOak Bank will never text or email and ask for personal information.

What is Identity Theft?

Identity Theft occurs when someone uses another persons identifying information such as their name, address, phone number, credit card, or social security number without their permission to commit fraud or other crimes

How to prevent Identity Theft

• Check your credit report and use sites that regularly update you when your credit score changes or new inquiries appear on your report
• Watch your card statements each month as they arrive for unauthorized transactions
• Keep your social security card and other identifying information in a safe place
• Update your software on your computer and mobile devices regularly and be sure to use anti-virus software
• Do not respond to unsolicited or spam emails

Mobile Wallet has arrived for both debit and credit!⁠

To Set up Mobile Wallet:⁠
1) locate the wallet app on your smart phone (most are already installed)⁠
2) enter credit or debit card info⁠
Your mobile wallet can’t be used for payment without your authentication⁠

How do you like to start your day?
Walk with my dog and then a cup of coffee.

Who has influenced you the most when it comes to your work ethic?
My longtime mentor and friend Jim Koch.

What drives you to work hard
My family.

What inspires you at work?
Helping people achieve their dreams.

What drove you down this career path?
When I was growing up being a banker was the best job in town and I like numbers.

What’s your biggest pet peeve at work?
Too many emails.

If you could add one thing to the workspace, what would it be?
Starbucks café in the lobby.

If you could pick a superpower, what would you choose?
Invisibility

Name one dead celebrity you would like to have dinner with!
Robin Williams

If you were an animal, what would you be?
Hawk

Imagine you could step in a teleport for a day and go to any place and time in history. Where and when would you travel to?
I would travel back in time to when my Grandpa Moore was in the Navy and be there to see first-hand my favorite story he told me.

What’s the coolest thing about your job?
The people I work with.

What is the best gift you ever received?
My daughter.

What is the nerdiest thing you do in your free time?
“Research publicly traded companies

That one song that’s the soundtrack to your life?
“Eye of the Tiger”

What’s the one thing you’re grateful for today?
Family

When you grew up, you hoped to become a …
Pilot

The most courageous or embarrassing moment you remember while at school?
Hurt my knee messing around on the diving board at the swimming pool.

Name one of your guilty pleasures
Watching MTV’s “Ridiculousness”

Business Questions
How do you like to start your day?
COFFEE!!!

Who has influenced you the most when it comes to your work ethic? Ancestors/Parents

What drives you to work hard
My families pride in the work they did was instilled in me a young age.

What inspires you at work?
Never want to disappoint!

What drove you down this career path?
John Thompson

What’s your biggest pet peeve at work?
Drama

If you could add one thing to the workspace, what would it be?
A patio deck off the second floor

If you could pick a superpower, what would you choose?
Invisibility

Name one dead celebrity you would like to have dinner with!
Marilyn Monore

If you were an animal, what would you be?
Cheetah

Imagine you could step in a teleport for a day and go to any place and time in history. Where and when would you travel to?
Elvis Presley-1969 Comback Special Concert-Las Vegas!

What’s the coolest thing about your job?
The people I work with!

What is the best gift you ever received?
My parents collection of Super 8 reel movies converted to DVD’s!

What is the nerdiest thing you do in your free time?
Build Excel spreadsheets

That one song that’s the soundtrack to your life?  
Only the Good Die Young!

What’s the one thing you’re grateful for today?
for my Family both living and deceased

When you grew up, you hoped to become a …
Graphic Artist

The most courageous or embarrassing moment you remember while at school?
Air Band to AC/DC Back in Black

Name one of your guilty pleasures
OH no–any answer here is not going to be appropriate!