Privacy & Security

The security of your personal information is always a priority at Woori America Bank. We work hard to help you stay safe when banking online.

To ensure your accounts stay safe, you also need to look after your own security. Find out what you can do to protect yourself and your computer online, and how to avoid internet scams and dodgy emails.

Internet Security

Identity Theft

Internet Security

Check out the glossary for clear examples of all the terms you'll come across.

Email and Web site scams
Web Site Spoofing
Lottery/Sweepstakes Letter scams

Email and Web site scams

Criminals have capitalized on the broad power and wide availability of the Internet and electronic mail (e-mail) to defraud unsuspecting people. It is critical that each of us maintain constant vigilance over the way we use the Internet and all forms of electronic communication.

Phishing(pronounced "fishing") – as in fishing for confidential information - is a scam that encompasses fraudulently obtaining information by sending an e-mail that appears to originate from a trusted source, such as a financial institution, government agency or other entity. This is how it works:

  • A consumer receives an e-mail which appears to originate from a financial institution, government agency, or other well-known/reputable entity.
  • The message describes an urgent reason you must "verify" or "re-submit" personal or confidential information by clicking on a link embedded in the message.
  • The provided link appears to be the Web site of the financial institution, government agency or other well-known/reputable entity, but in "phishing" scams, the Web site belongs to the fraudster/scammer.
  • Once inside the fraudulent Web site, the consumer may be asked to provide Social Security numbers, account numbers, passwords or other information used to identify the consumer, such as the maiden name of the consumer's mother or the consumer's place of birth.
  • When the consumer provides the information, those perpetrating the fraud can begin to access consumer accounts or assume the person's identity.

Below are current links with information regarding phishing:
http://www.youtube.com/user/FTCvideos

Vishing is a socially engineered technique for stealing information or money from consumers using the telephone network. The term comes from combining "voice" with "phishing," which are online scams that get people to give up personal information. It is one of the latest breakthroughs in telecommunications-Voice Over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, which enables telephone calls over the web.

Pharming refers to the redirection of an individual to an illegitimate Web site through technical means. For example, an Internet banking customer, who routinely logs in to his online banking Web site, may be redirected to an illegitimate Web instead of accessing his or her bank's Web site.

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Web Site Spoofing

Spoofing is another trick used by criminals. Criminals steal a Web site's code — the technical programming that makes the Web site work — and use it to create a fake Web site that "spoofs" or appears to be the legitimate site.

The difficulty for unsuspecting consumers is that these sites look legitimate. To help protect yourself, be aware of how you're accessing the site.

  • Don't follow a link in an unsolicited e-mail if you have any doubts about the sender (see "phishing", above).
  • Type all Web site addresses carefully, or use Favorites or Bookmarks to store frequently accessed sites — especially financial-related sites. Misspelling, even by one letter, the address of the Web site you are trying to access may send you to an incorrect, possibly fraudulent, Web site.

OnGuardOnLine.gov provides practical tips from the federal government and the technology industry to help you be on guard against Internet fraud, secure your computer, and protect your personal information.

For additional information about safe online banking and avoiding online scams, visit http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/guard/.

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Lottery/Sweepstakes Letter scams

If you receive a letter, accompanied by a check with Woori America Bank, that claims you have won a lottery, a sweepstakes, have been chosen to be a paid "secret shopper" or a similar variation of a popular contest, be advised that these are scam letters and fraudulent checks.
If you contact the sender as requested, you will be instructed to negotiate the check and forward the sender money through a wire transfer or money order. Please do not negotiate these checks, as they are not authentic Woori America Bank checks. If you receive one of these letters and/or checks, you should report it to your local U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

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Identity Theft

What Is Identity Theft?

Identity theft is when personal information is stolen, such as a Social Security number (SSN) and date of birth, to commit fraud and other illegal activities.

A thief can use this information to obtain credit cards, mortgage loans, cell phones, as well as withdrawing money from personal bank accounts. Some criminals will even use this information to commit crimes and acquire jobs in the victim’s name.

Stolen Identity can be a difficult and costly burden for the victim. Therefore, it is imperative that you make sure that you are aware of the types of activities that a criminal can do to obtain your personal information and what you can do to prevent it.

How Does Identity Theft Occur?

Identity thieves use many ways to steal someone’s personal information. They can search through your trash or hack into your personal computer. The following are just a few examples of items identity thieves look for:

  • Stealing mail or going through garbage containing personal information called Dumpster Diving.
  • Stealing payment or identification cards, either by pick-pocketing or by getting information through a compromised card reader called Skimming.
  • Impersonating a known company or financial institution in an e-mail to obtain personal information called Phishing.
  • Retrieving information from personal equipment, like disposed computers where personal information was not properly deleted.
  • Researching information about the victim on the internet.
  • Eavesdropping on public transactions to obtain personal data
  • Stealing personal information in computer databases.
  • Advertising fake job offers (either full-time or work from home) where the victims will reply with their full name, address, telephone numbers, and banking details.
  • Browsing internet websites for personal details that have been posted by you (Ex. MySpace, Facebook)
  • Changing your address to divert billing statements to another location to either get current legitimate account info or to delay discovery of fraudulent accounts.
How to Prevent Identity Theft

The following steps can decrease the threat of identity theft:

  • Shred financial documents and paperwork with personal information before you discard them.
  • Protect your Social Security number. Don’t carry your Social Security card in your wallet or write your Social Security number on a check. Give it out only if absolutely necessary or ask to use another identifier.
  • Don’t give out personal information on the phone, through the mail, or over the Internet unless you know the person who you are dealing with.
  • Never click on links sent in unsolicited emails; instead, type in a web address you know. Use firewalls, anti-spyware, and anti-virus software to protect your home computer; keep them up-to-date.
  • Keep your personal information in a secure place at home, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help, or are having work done in your house.
  • Order a copy of your credit report at least annually to ensure all information is accurate and includes only authorized transactions.
  • Adequately guard all passwords and PIN numbers for credit and debit cards. Avoid using easily available information such as date of birth, mother’s maiden name, SSN or a phone number.
  • Secure all personal information in your home. Remove your new mail from the mailbox promptly and send outgoing mail from the post office or other secure mailboxes.
  • Shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, medical information, checks and bank statements. If available, receive your account statements online instead of on paper.
  • In order to closely monitor fraudulent activity, you should review all monthly account statements or frequently review transactions online or by telephone
When You Are a Victim of Identity Theft

If you believe that your personal information has been used to commit any fraudulent activity, the following are steps to take in order to protect against further damage:

  • Contact the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) to inform them that you are an identity theft victim. Request that a "fraud alert" be placed on your file and receive a copy of your credit bureau report.
  • Close any accounts where you believe identity theft has occurred.
  • File a complaint online with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or call the FTC Identity Theft Hotline.
  • Complete the Identity Theft Affidavit, which may be required in reporting a new account opened in your name by an identity thief or to obtain application or transaction records from a company the identity thief dealt with.  
  • File a police report and/or an Identity Theft Report with your local police department where the identity theft took place. Ask for a copy of the report; often credit card companies and others will need proof of the crime to erase the debts caused by identity theft.

The key to proving you are a victim of identity theft is to get the right documents to the right people. The following are tips to help you resolve credit problems resulting from identity theft.

  • Credit reports: Call the Credit Bureau and inform them of the information on your credit report that you believe is inaccurate. Follow up in writing and include copies (not originals) of your documentation such as a copy of the police report or your credit card statement with circles around the items in question.
  • Credit cards: Write your credit card company or other provider to inform them of fraudulent charges. Send your letter so that it arrives at the creditor within 60 days from when the first bill containing the charge was sent to you.
  • ATM cards, debit cards and electronic fund transfers: If your ATM or debit card is stolen or lost or you find a fraudulent transaction on your statement, visit the nearest Woori America Bank or call customer service at 1-888-MyWoori (699-6674)
Identity Theft Resources and Information

Federal Trade Commission
http://www.ftc.gov/idtheft/
1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338)

Credit Bureaus

Equifax
http://www.equifax.com/
To report fraud, call: 1-800-525-6285
To write: P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

Experian
http://www.experian.com/
To report fraud, call: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)
To write: P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013

TransUnion
http://www.transunion.com/
To report fraud, call: 1-800-680-7289
e-mail: fvad@transunion.com
To write: Fraud Victim Assistance Department,
P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

Additional Resources

Social Security Number Theft and Misuse
http://www.ssa.gov/
to report fraud, call: 1-800-269-0271

Mail Theft
http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/

Phone Fraud
http://www.fcc.gov/

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Reporting Identity Theft and Fraud

It is important note that Woori America Bank does not contact its clients or anyone else by e-mail to confirm credit card or financial transactions, or to confirm or request personal account information or any other type of sensitive information. If you are concerned that you have received fraudulent email, disclosed confidential information or believe your personal information has been compromised and/or stolen regarding your Woori America Bank account(s), please contact us immediately at 1-888-MyWoori (699-6674) 8:30AM ~ 4:30PM (ET) or visit the nearest Woori America Bank branch.        

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Privacy Policy

Federal law requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information.
Federal law also limits how we can use your personal information. Protecting the privacy and security of customer information is very important to us. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do with the personal information we collect online.

We, our, and us means Woori America Bank. This is Woori America Bank's Privacy Policy for our customers. When we use the words "you" and "your" we mean all of our consumer customers who have a continuing relationship with us, by having a business relationship with us, such as having:
  Deposit account
  Loan account
  Credit card
  Safe deposit box
  Self-directed individual retirement account where we act as custodian or trustee
We will tell you the sources for nonpublic personal information we collect on our customers. We will tell you what measures we take to secure that information.
We first define some terms:
Nonpublic personal information means information about you that we collect in connection with providing a financial product or service to you. Nonpublic personal information does not include information that is available from public sources, such as telephone directories or government records.
An affiliate is a company we own or control, a company that is owned or controlled by the same company that owns or controls us. Ownership dose not mean complete ownership, but means owning enough to have control. A nonaffiliated third party is a company that is not an affiliate of ours.
THE INFORMATION THAT WE COLLECT:
We collect nonpublic personal information about you from the following sources:
  Information we receive from you on applications or other forms
  Information about your transactions with us
  Information about your transaction with our affiliates
  Information about your transactions with nonaffiliated third parties
  Information from a consumer reporting agency
THE CONFIDENTIALITY, SECURITY, AND INTEGRITY OF YOUR NONPUBLIC PERSONAL INFORMATION:
We restrict access to nonpublic personal information about you only to those employees who need to know that information to provide products or services to you. We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal standards to guard your nonpublic personal information.
NONPUBLIC PERSONAL INFORMATION AND AFFILIATES:

We may disclose nonpublic personal information about you. The kinds of nonpublic personal information we may disclose to our affiliates are transaction and experience information from our account records:

  Information about your transaction and experiences with us, such as
  Name
  Address
  Account balances
  Account activity
  Types of accounts
  Credit card usage
  Payments history
  Deposits history
  Parties to the transaction
Federal law allows us to disclose the information listed above with our affiliates. Customers do not have the right to opt of the discloser of this information.
NONPUBLIC PERSONAL INFORMATION AND NONAFFILIATED THIRD PARTIES:

We will not disclose nonpublic personal information about you to anyone except as disclosed in this policy or as permitted by law.
NONPUBLIC PERSONAL INFORMATION AND FORMER CUSTOMERS:

We do not disclose nonpublic personal information about our former customers to anyone, except as permitted by law.

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Special Notice for California Residents Only.

In accordance with California law, Woori America Bank will not disclose information that we have about you to nonaffiliated third parties except as permitted by the applicable California law. We will also limit the sharing of personal information about you with our affiliates to comply with all California privacy laws that apply to us. Those will apply if your account has a California mailing address.

We are required by the California Financial Information Privacy Act (the “CFIPA”) to provide this notice to you annually. We will also send you an additional notice each year that tells you about your privacy rights under the federal law.

Children’s Online Privacy Protection

In accordance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), we will not knowingly collect, store, use or disclose personal information directly from children on the internet unless the information has been provided by an adult in connection with opening an accounts for or with the child. We won't send any unsolicited promotions to users who indicate they are less than 13 years of age unless the solicitation is in connection with an account opened by an adult.

For more information, please go to Full regulatory text of Children's Online Privacy Protection (16 CFR Part 312) in on the FTC web site.

FTC Seeks Comment on Children’s Online Privacy Protections http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2010/03/coppa.shtm

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Questions about Woori America Bank Privacy Policy

  • Calling us toll free at 1-888-My Woori(699-6674) 8:30am ~ 5:30pm (ET)
  • Talking to a customer service representative at a branch

 

Internet Banking Service Agreement