Privacy & Security

As a California Bank & Trust customer, your privacy and security always come first. For more than 50 years we have been dedicated to customer safety and protection, and our mission remains as strong as ever.

Victims of fraud or identity theft often don’t realize it until significant damage occurs to their financial reputation and credit rating.  While the threat of fraud will never be completely eliminated, there are several simple, proactive measures you can take to save yourself or your business a lot of time, money and stress. 

Find out how we can help protect you and your business and how you can protect yourself by recognizing, preventing, and reporting fraudulent activity.  Simply click on the topic that you would like more information on…

Privacy Policy - How CB&T uses your personal information to process transactions and provide you with products and services. 

Email and Internet Related Fraudulent Schemes - How to recognize and protect against Email and Internet related fraud schemes.

Identity Theft - Learn about eleven ways to safeguard your personal identity. 

Protecting Your Business - Tips on how to reduce the opportunity for behavior in your workplace that exposes your business to undue risk. 

You can also obtain this information at your local branch office.  Click here to find the location nearest you. 

Another valuable resource is the Federal Trade Commission Website located at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.

If you believe you are a victim of identity theft:

1. Contact your local branch office immediately. 
   
2. Contact other creditors immediately and investigate any unfamiliar charges. 
   
3. Contact the major credit bureaus. You can request that a short- or long-term “fraud alert” be placed on your credit file, which requires creditors to verify your identity before opening any new accounts in your name or changing any existing accounts.  Contact information for the three credit bureaus is listed below:

   Equifax:  1 (800) 525-6285 or www.equifax.com

   Experian: 1 (888) 397-3742 or www.experian.com

   TransUnion: 1 (800) 680-7289 or www.transunion.com

4. File a report with the local police.  A police report will lend weight to your case when dealing with creditors who may require proof of criminal activity.
   
5. Report the criminal activity to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Call the toll-free hotline at 1-877-ID THEFT (1-877-438-4338) to speak with a trained identity theft counselor. Or enter information about your complaint into a secure FTC online database at www.consumer.gov/idtheft. Your information may be shared with other law enforcement agencies investigating identity theft.
   
6. Contact other agencies as appropriate:
   • Postal Inspection Service at www.usps.com. If you believe your mail was stolen or redirected, notify the Postal Inspector at your local post office.
   • Social Security Fraud Hotline at 1 (800) 269-0271. If you suspect someone is using your Social Security number for fraudulent purposes, call the hotline.
   • Department of Motor Vehicles office at www.dmv.ca.org. If you believe someone is trying to get a driver’s license or identification card using your name and information, contact your local DMV. 
     
7. Carefully review all your accounts. Since identity theft takes time to completely resolve, you should continue to carefully review all charges and transactions appearing on account statements and online. Any discrepancies should be reported immediately.