The Callaway Bank
MENU

Seven Tips to Protect Yourself Online with Better Passwords

Seven Tips to Protect Yourself Online with Better Passwords

Passwords are difficult to maintain, but they’re still one of the most important lines of defense protecting your personal and financial information. The key (pun intended) to preventing your accounts from being hacked, whether they’re your digital banking or social media accounts, is to use strong, unique passwords across all of your accounts. A recent People article reported that nearly 150 million email and social media accounts could be affected by ‘stolen passwords’. That includes platforms such as Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, TikTok, Facebook, and many more.

The good news? Creating strong passwords doesn’t require advanced technical skills. With a few smart habits, you can dramatically reduce your risk of fraud, identity theft, and account takeovers. Below are seven proven best practices to help you create stronger passwords and remember them without frustration.

1. Use Long Passwords or Passphrases

Length matters more than complexity alone. A longer password is much harder to crack, even if it uses familiar words.
Best practice:
  • Aim for 12–16 characters or more.
  • Consider a passphrase made of several unrelated words.
    • Example: RiverSunsetCoffeeBike!
Passphrases are easier to remember and far more secure than short, complex-looking passwords.

2. Never Reuse Passwords Across Accounts

Reusing passwords is one of the biggest risks people take online. If one site is compromised, criminals often try the same credentials on other accounts, such as banking, email, and shopping.
Best practice:
  • Use a unique password for every important account, especially:
    • Online banking
    • Email
    • Payment apps
    • Retail and subscription services
Think of every password as a single-use key. One lock, one key.

3. Avoid Personal or Predictable Information

Cybercriminals don’t guess randomly—they use information from social media, public records, and data breaches.
Avoid using:
  • Names of family members or pets
  • Birthdays or anniversaries
  • Phone numbers or addresses
  • Common substitutions like P@ssw0rd
If someone could guess it or find it online, it doesn’t belong in your password.

4. Mix in Capital Letters and Symbols to Make Passwords Stronger

Once you have a long, unique password or passphrase, adding a mix of capital letters, numbers, and symbols makes it even harder for criminals to crack.
Best practice:
  • Capitalize letters in uncommon places (not just the first letter)
  • Add symbols like ! @ # $ % where they feel natural
  • Replace spaces in passphrases using symbols.
    • Example: River!Sunset#Coffee$Bike
Avoid predictable patterns like capitalizing only the first letter or adding “!” at the end every time. Small variations go a long way in strengthening your password.

5. Use a Password Manager (and Let It Do the Heavy Lifting)

Remembering dozens of strong, distinctive passwords is tough unless you use a password manager.
Best practice:
  • Use a reputable password manager to:
    • Generate strong passwords automatically.
    • Store them securely
    • Autofill logins safely
With a password manager, you only need to remember one strong master password, and the rest is handled for you.

6. Add Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Wherever Possible

Even the strongest password is safer with a second layer of protection.
Best practice:
  • Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on important accounts.
  • This may include:
    • A one-time code sent to your phone
    • A biometric login (fingerprint or face ID)
    • An authenticator app
MFA helps protect your account even if a password is compromised.

7. Change Passwords When There’s a Reason — Not Just a Notice

You don’t need to change passwords constantly, but you should act quickly if there’s a warning sign.
Change your password if:
  • A company reports a data breach.
  • You receive an alert that your credentials were exposed.
  • You notice suspicious account activity.
Quick action can prevent small concerns from becoming costly problems.

Final Thought: Strong Passwords Are All About Peace of Mind

Strong passwords aren’t about being perfect; they’re about being prepared. By using unique, long passwords and smart tools, you significantly reduce the chances of fraudsters gaining access to your accounts.
A few small changes today can help protect your money, your identity, and your peace of mind tomorrow.

Looking for more resources for preventing fraud and avoiding scams, check out our Fraud Prevention page.

Password Security Check: Alerts You if Your Password is Found on the Dark Web

Password Security Check

We’re excited to introduce Password Security Check, a new free service from The Callaway Bank that helps protect your Digital Banking.  It works by comparing your password against those exposed in known data breaches or on the dark web.  If the system finds a match, you’ll get an alert when you log into Digital Banking, encouraging you to change your password.

Why Is This Important?

Recent research shows that 94% of leaked passwords are either reused or weak, meaning the vast majority of online accounts are protected by shaky measures. That’s because only about 6% of exposed passwords were unique, leaving the rest dangerously predictable and reusable across multiple sites.1  Additionally, passwords that have been collected through countless breaches over the years are available on the dark web for hackers to access.  Why try to guess passwords when they can start with the most common ones?

How Does Password Security Check Work?

This new service, provided by The Callaway Bank, is free and will automatically run in the background for all of our Digital Banking clients.  The system compares your password against a constantly updated database of exposed passwords.  It’s important to understand that finding a match does NOT mean your account has been hacked. It does mean that your password matches those of other people whose passwords were compromised.  Hackers could, however, try to use it to access your accounts. This Password Check helps spot that risk before it becomes a problem.

What’s the Benefit To Me?

Our Password Security Check adds an extra layer of protection to your online banking—helping keep your account safe from fraud and unauthorized access.

Who at the Bank Can Access my Password?

Nobody within the Bank can see or access your password. Our banking system does not allow anyone to view your password.  But because the system knows your password, it can compare it to the database of other compromised passwords.

When Will Password Security Check Be Active?

February 24th will be when it goes live.

Want to Know More about Creating and Using Stronger Passwords?

When you manage your money and accounts online, the strength of your passwords matters more than ever. We’ve put together seven tips on how to make your passwords stronger and easier to manage.

 

Source:
1https://cybernews.com/security/password-leak-study-unveils-2025-trends-reused-and-lazy/

Financial Fraud Attempts Growing

Financial Fraud Attempts Growing

Data breaches, unfortuanately, have become a common occurance in this modern world.  High-severity breaches include sensitive data such as social security numbers and passwords. With so many of these instances, it is essential to review your statements and monitor your accounts regularly. 

At the Bank, we continue to see the number of attempts by fraudsters to gain access to client accounts grow. They use the information found on the dark web from the hundreds of data breaches to impersonate the customer on the phone. (This is why we go to such lengths to accurately identify you when you call into our Customer Care Team.) Or with that info, fraudsters can sometimes guess the client’s ID and password for online banking, which they will then use to transfer funds or send payments to fake businesses.

How can you best protect yourself from these scenarios?

  • Check your statements routinely and call the Bank if you see any irregularities.
  • Use long passwords with at least ten characters and a mix of alphanumeric characters (A, b, 1, 9) using upper and lower case and symbols (@, $, %, *).
  • Never use the same passwords on multiple sites.
  • Speak to a banker to set up a security challenge pass-phrase that must be shared before making any changes to account(s).
  • Never use your mother’s maiden name or other easily obtained information for passwords or security phrases. These can be found on genealogy sites or learned from your social media. 
  • Update the Bank with your current contact info, particularly your cell phone number.  This helps us contact you faster if we notice something odd with your account.
  • Those fun quizzes on social media about “have you ever” or trivia contests – don’t do it. Those are often collection points for hackers to gain extra info about you. 

 Other tips and resources for protecting against financial fraud are available here.
Fraud Protection Tips

If you ever notice something odd or feel your account may have been compromised, please always contact the Bank immediately. 

 Ashland: 573-657-0849  |  Columbia: 573-447-1771  |  Fulton: 573-642-3322  |  Mokane: 573-676-5711
Or Reach Any Locations Using: 800-446-2265

Fraudsters Target Even the Savvy: A Real-Life Account Reveals Deception

In a world where fraud can target anyone, even the most informed and discerning individuals can become victims of cunning schemes. The following incident from a Callaway Bank client is a stark reminder of this unsettling reality and the importance of fraud prevention.

How Fraudsters Target Locals in Boone & Callaway Counties

Mary Quartermont, Assistant Vice President and Deposit Operations Manager at The Callaway Bank, has seen many unfortunate instances of good people conned out of their life savings. She shares a true story of an intelligent individual who fell into the clutches of a fraudulent scheme orchestrated through social media.

This victim was a widower who had recently lost his spouse and encountered a fraudster on Facebook posing as an investment agent with an impressive reputation. The scammer recognized that the victim was likely lonely. Over several months, they deftly built a bond with the gentleman, using shared interests and friendly conversations to establish trust.

Fraud Prevention in Columbia, MO | Handsome mature man in casual suit sitting at the table in home office and thinking on his work, when looking at laptop screenAs the relationship grew, the fraudster skillfully persuaded the victim to invest funds under the pretense of lucrative opportunities. They even produced a fake account that showed they were making money for their clients. These con artists often create fake websites and social media personas to help convince their victims that everything they say is legitimate.

How Bankers Identify Potential Fraud

The scammer gave detailed instructions on wiring the funds to be invested. Knowing that the bank would ask about details of the wire, the victim was coached on what to say to help navigate the bank’s scrutiny and evade detection. “Tell them you’re helping a family member out, or it’s going to one of your kids, etc. That will steer the bank from suspicion of fraud,” the fraudster explained.

However, the keen-eyed team at The Callaway Bank detected inconsistencies in the transaction, prompting a thorough investigation. At first, the client was insistent that he knew this individual and that they would not scam him or cause him financial harm. Despite initial reluctance from the targeted gentlemen, the evidence revealed the scheme’s true nature. The victim had unwittingly fallen for a clever ploy, capitalizing on their emotional vulnerability and desire for a good investment.

It is vital to understand that falling prey to such deceit does not reflect the victim’s shortcomings. These con artists employ sophisticated tactics that can ensnare individuals from all walks of life, all ages, and all levels of education, regardless of their technological expertise.

How to Protect Yourself From Fraudsters

The Callaway Bank urges customers to remain vigilant and seek support if they encounter suspicious situations. Seeking advice from trusted family members, bankers, or close friends can act as a defense against these insidious practices and ensure fraud prevention.

This cautionary tale reminds us that fraudsters are adept at manipulating situations and emotions, making it essential for individuals to remain cautious and informed to protect themselves from potential scams. No one is exempt from the risk, and staying alert is the first defense against these cunning perpetrators.

If you experience a suspicious interaction, don’t hesitate to contact us for further review.


Contact Us

Recent News & Insights

Browse More