Security Bulletins

ABA Warns Consumers of Phishing Scams : Nov 16, 2011

The American Bankers Association is warning consumers not to fall victim to a sudden increase in phishing scams that have been reported in states around the country. According to reports, perpetrators are using automated dialers, text messages or emails to misinform consumers that their accounts have been closed due to fraud. Consumers are then prompted to enter in their card information, including expiration number and three-digit CV code on the back of the card, in order to reactivate their accounts. Those who respond to these inquires run the potential risk of having their information used to fraudulently purchase goods and services or to obtain credit. To avoid becoming the victim of a phishing scam, ABA offers the following tips: • Never give out your personal or financial information in response to an unsolicited phone call, fax or email, no matter how official it may seem. • Do not respond to email that may warn of dire consequences unless you validate your information immediately. Contact the company to confirm the email's validity using a telephone number or Web address you know to be genuine. • Check your credit card and bank account statements regularly and look for unauthorized transactions, even small ones. Some thieves hope small transactions will go unnoticed. Report discrepancies immediately. • When submitting financial information online, look for the padlock or key icon at the bottom of your Internet browser. Also, many secure Internet addresses, though not all use "https". • Report suspicious activity to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center. • If you have responded to an email, contact Beacon Federal immediately so we can protect your account and your identity. For information on identity theft, visit ABA's Consumer Connection.

Text Message Scam : Aug 15, 2011

It has come to our attention that customers of local financial institutions have been receiving fraudulent text messages indicating that their card has been deactivated, with instructions to call a phone number to enter in their debit card number, expiration date, and PIN number. Beacon Federal will NEVER contact you in this manner and will NEVER ask you for your personal banking or debit card information via text message, telephone, or email. You should never provide your personal and/or banking information to anyone who contacts you in this manner. If you receive this text message or one similar please contact Beacon Federal immediately at (888) 256.3800, Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM EST.

Beacon's Security Center Page : Jun 13, 2011

Welcome to Beacon's Security Center page for security alerts, tips for protecting your information online, and steps to take if you suspect your information has been disclosed or stolen.

Phone Scam Alert - Beware of fraudulent phone calls requesting debit card information : Jul 5, 2011

We have recently been notified of automated fraudulent phone calls in which customers of Beacon Federal are being asked for full debit card account numbers and personal identification numbers (PIN). Some customers have also been asked to activate their new card by pressing 1. Many of the calls claim to be from Beacon Federal or other area banks. Beacon Federal will NEVER ask you for ANY personal banking or debit card information via telephone calls or unsolicited emails. You should NEVER provide your personal and/or banking information to anyone who contacts you in this manner. Beacon Federal will never call you to activate a Beacon Debit Card. If you believe you have received a fraudulent phone call or have questions, please call (888) 256.3800 Monday - Friday 8 AM - 6 PM EST or visit your local Beacon Federal branch.

Debit Card Fraud Update : Jun 9, 2011

The Beacon Debit Card restrictions that went into effect on June 8, 2011 for CREDIT transactions and online purchases from businesses in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and New Mexico HAVE BEEN LIFTED. You may resume using your Beacon Debit Card as you normally would by selecting “Credit” as the method of purchase and signing for your transaction and using your PIN when you need cash. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. If you have any questions or concerns please call (888) 256.3800 (Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM EST).

Debit Card Fraud : Jun 8, 2011

Beacon members using their Beacon DEBIT CARD in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and New Mexico WILL NOT be able to use their debit card for CREDIT transactions (i.e., selecting "Credit" as the method of purchase and signing for your transaction) for an interim time frame. You will also be UNABLE to make online purchases from companies in these affected areas. You MUST use your PIN for purchase transactions until further notice. If you do not know your PIN number, please call (888) 256.3800 (Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM EST) so that we can help you. This action has been taken for the protection of our members due to a recent increase of debit card fraud in these states. The PIN transaction fee will be waived for members RESIDING in these states.

Security Breach at the Onondaga County Civic Center, War Memorial & Oncenter : Nov 8, 2010

Members who have used their debit card or credit card at the Onondaga County Civic Center, War Memorial or Oncenter within the past 10 months should monitor their bank statements for any unauthorized transactions. If any unauthorized transactions are found, contact us immediately. We will continue to monitor our systems for fraudulent activity. If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact us at (315) 433.0111.

Email Scam Claiming to be Beacon Federal : Aug 20, 2010

It has come to our attention that an email is being sent to our customers, claiming to be from Beacon Federal. The email states that we have temporarily prevented access to your account, and that we have reason to believe your account may have been accessed by a third party. This email was not sent to you by Beacon Federal; your accounts have not been compromised and access to your accounts has not been restricted. If you receive this email, please do not respond to it or any requests it makes. The address associated with this email, support@beaconfederal.com, is not a valid Beacon Federal email address. It is not Beacon's practice to notify you of changes to your account in this manner.

Fraudulent email pertaining to Bank Insurance : Oct 29, 2009

At Beacon Federal your privacy is very important to us, please read the important notice about fraudulent emails. E-mails fraudulently claiming to be from the FDIC are attempting to trick recipients into installing unknown software on personal computers. These e-mails falsely indicate that recipients should download and open a "personal FDIC insurance file" to check their deposit insurance coverage. The "insurance file" may actually be a form of spyware or malicious code and may collect personal or confidential information. The subject line is, "check your Bank Deposit Insurance Coverage."

It is NOT Beacon Federal's practice to:

  • Send e-mails or text messages asking you to provide personal or account related information via email.
  • Send e-mails threatening to close your account if you do not take immediate action.
  • Send e-mails requesting you update your personal information using a website link. 
  • Please exercise extreme caution when reading e-mails or text messages such as these.  Contact us immediately at (888) 256.3800 or forward the message to us at beacon@beaconfederal.com.

Identity Theft. It’s important to protect your personal information and to take certain steps quickly to minimize the potential damage from identity theft if your information is accidentally disclosed or deliberately stolen.

Place a “Fraud Alert” on Your Credit Reports. The alert tells creditors to follow certain procedures before they open new accounts in your name or make changes to your existing accounts. Placing the alert entitles you to free copies of your reports, which you should review carefully. The three nationwide Consumer Reporting companies have toll-free numbers for placing an initial 90-day fraud alert. A call to just one will take care of it for you.

Close Accounts. Close any accounts that have been tampered with or established fraudulently.

File a Police Report. File a report with law enforcement officials to help you with creditors who may want proof of the crime. This report will also help you claim your rights as a victim of identity theft. Be sure to keep a copy for your records.

Report the Theft to the Federal Trade Commission. Your report helps law enforcement officials across the country in their investigations. Do this at www.ftc.gov/idtheft or by phone: (877) 438.4338.

Your security is very important to us and we are constantly upgrading our system to protect your personal information. Read on to learn more about the measures we take to ensure safe and secure banking.

Note: Beacon Federal will never ask you for any personal account information via unsolicited emails or telephone calls.

Online Banking Security

  • Our Business Internet Banking uses Digital Certificates with 128-bit encryption to authenticate customers. Digital Certificates enable secure and confidential communication between the Bank and you.
  • Our Business Internet Banking also uses encryption. Encryption is the process of converting information into a more secure format for transmission. In other words, the plain text is converted to scrambled code while being transmitted, and then decrypted back to plain text at the receiving end of the transmission.
  • There are two levels of encryption generally available in web browsers: 40-bit encryption and 128-bit encryption. Beacon’s Business Internet Banking requires 128-bit encryption. This is the highest level of encryption available in North America today. - The security padlock at the bottom right of the browser window indicates that a secure session is in progress. Double-clicking the padlock will tell the user the level of security by showing the Digital Certificate. 

User Names and Passwords: Tips for Protection:

User names and passwords are personal and highly confidential. This helps safeguard against unauthorized access to your Business Internet Banking account. To benefit fully from this protection, your business and users must ensure that their user names and passwords are kept confidential at all times.

  • Never use “PASSWORD” as your password.  
  • Choose a password that is difficult for a third party to guess. The best passwords contain numbers and both upper- and lower-case characters.  


DO NOT use a familiar name, date, or place that may be easy for a third party to discover.

DO NOT share your password with anyone. Always memorize your password. Change your passwords regularly and DO NOT alternate between passwords.

DISABLE any login and password auto-complete functions on browsers.

DO NOT allow anyone to view login or identify the keys you are pressing while logging on.

DO NOT record your password on your computer or browser. Protect your password; keep it secret and never write it down or share it with anyone.

DO NOT use a password that is also used in connection with a third party (e.g. an Internet Service Provider).

DO NOT use the same password for every system you access. Change your password immediately if you believe that someone else may know it.