Peoples bank invests in processes and technologies to secure the electronic environment for our customer’s financial transactions, communications as data transitions. However we recommend you to take necessary steps to protect yourself from attempts to gain your personal information.

If you are a victim of a fraud, contact Peoples Bank immediately.

• Never click any links or open attachments in emails that request your information or your accounts. Peoples Bank never makes such requests. If a link was clicked accidently, immediately contact us.
• Make sure that your tablet or Smartphone is always protected with a PIN .Do not reveal it to anybody and make sure it is difficult to guess.
• Take care not to leave your device unattended or left or stored in an insecure place. It is advisable if you could download a tracking app that will help you to erase your data remotely if required.
• Make sure you always logout of your banking app or mobile website when you finish using it. For this closing the app or the web page may not be sufficient.
• Do not use unsecure Wi-Fi networks for banking or checking your emails. It is better to use a 4G or 3G internet connection.
• Read the bank’s terms and conditions for mobile banking and make sure that you are aware of what your responsibilities are and those of the bank.
• Do not send or receive personal or account information by unsecure channels
• Do not share user ID or password with another person.
• Notify us immediately of unexpected account activity.
• Set account alerts when using Online Banking.

People Bank strictly considers your information as critical and as a valued asset. Our Main concern is the confidentiality and integrity of your information. Our approach on information security is to create protection that secures your confidential information and assets along with our banking services. Hence to safeguard your details following are some of the steps we take.

• We have teams testing the security controls and maintain secure computing environment.
• We exercise penetration testing and network threat modeling.
• We reevaluate our controls to make sure that they can withstand newly identified vulnerabilities.
• Peoples Bank appraises online security practices and our internal auditors perform internal audits and evaluations.
• We make sure that our employees are trained and understand policies and regulations relating to information security.
• We invest in skills of our employees and our systems to maintain information security.
• We have a developed a formal Incident Response Program that covers breach in electronic or physical security exposure. The response program is formed to provide timely and efficient responses to the incidents.

With the expansion in popularity of online banking services, the theft of banking details has become a common type of criminal act. Below are some areas for you to get a brief idea on the most common online threats.

Committing a fraud using internet is known as an “online fraud”. Online fraud can involve financial fraud and identify theft. There are many forms of online frauds. It expands from email schemes that get the victims into wiring money to fraudulent sources to “phishing” emails .The most common online fraud are fraudulent websites, emails and popup windows. No legitimate business will ever email its customers asking for that user to refresh data, including record or Visa numbers.

• What is phishing?

Phishing is normally carried out by emails that direct the users to enter personal information at its fake website that is identical to the legitimate one. The emails would normally state that the company requires the user to update the credentials and have a sense of urgency and include links. Each email will contain a message that looks as if it is form a well known and trusted party. Usually the message includes the company’s logo and name. Sometimes the email directs the victim to a spoofed website. The website will also appear authentic and sometimes its URL has been masked to make it look real.

• What is pharming?

Pharming is an attempt by a hacker to redirect a website’s traffic to a site which is designed for the purpose of stealing your information. Pharming attacks replaces the IP address for a site so that even if the user types the correct site name directly to the browser, you will be redirected to the site the hacker wants. This site will look very similar to the original site you are intended to log in. This redirected site could also contain malware created to steal user information, infect the user’s computer or install adware. It is advised if you are visiting a bank website where you are entering sensitive information; make sure that you are using HTTPS connection.

• Keep your browser up to date

It is essential that you keep your browser up to date to avoid being a victim of online fraud. This will make more difficult for the attackers to get hold of your details

• Don’t give your PIN number to others

Your bank will never ask you for the PIN number via email, over the phone or on the website. If you are being requested to disclose your PIN number, you might be a targeted victim for fraud .Make sure that you don’t give the PIN number.

• Be careful when opening attachments

Make sure that you know the sender if you require to open an email attachment. Some of the destructive viruses are spread by attachments. Even if you know the sender it’s advisable to have an idea of what should be in the file, hence even if you know the sender, be alert.

• Check your bank statements.

Ensure you check your credit report three times each. Watch for unauthorized accounts, loans or purchases because they will damage your credit and signal that your identity may have been stolen. If you find inaccuracies in your report, you can dispute those errors online, by mail or over the phone by contacting the credit bureau where you found the inaccurate.

• Maintain strong passwords.

Make sure that you select a strong password for all services you use. When selecting a password use at least eight characters including upper and lower case and both letters and numbers. Do not use interests or names that attackers will be able to predict. Keep in mind to use a strong password and do not use your birthday, pets name or you name, especially if you post it on social media. If you think that your password is compromised, change it immediately.

• Utilize a Secure Connection

If you frequently shop online, keep in mind that any transaction done via web will require transmitting your account details over the internet. Attackers can tap into unsecure Wi-Fi connections at hotspots If you’re using a wireless connection to shop online, make sure that it requires a strong password or WEP key Additional security can be provided by selecting websites with https:// instead of https:// on all pages for the sites you use.

Right to Information Notice

Questionnaire on AML/CFT

• Are you a PEP - English
• Are you a PEP - Sinhala
• Are you a PEP - Tamil

Notice to the Customers of Financial Institutions - English

Notice to the Customers of Financial Institutions - Sinhala

Notice to the Customers of Financial Institutions - Tamil