ôAs Americans improve their computer skills and grow more comfortable with banking over the Internet, the hackers, phishers and other fraudsters are honing their nefarious skills as wellö (Bruce). Banking websites must address various legal and confidentiality issues due to the nature of online banking and banking in general. This paper will review three banking websitesùwww.bankofamerica.com, www.citibank.com, and www.wellsfargo.com, and provide an analysis of the legal issues each must address as well as describing how each site handles confidentiality issues.
The Bank of America website must primarily address legal and security issues with regard to its customersÆ Bank of America credit cards or the security of sensitive personal information, such as Social Security numbers (ôBank of Americaö). For its credit card customers, Bank of America offers Total Security Protection(, a free program that ensures the customer against theft, loss, or unauthorized use of a Bank of America credit card. The customer is entitled to zero liability if the card is lost or stolen and is reimbursed up to the amount of the loss if unauthorized card transactions have taken place. For added security, the package puts the customerÆs photo on the front of the card to reduce fraud and provides password protection to prevent others from using the card online. Bank of America also provides a Privacy Policy that promises that customer information will not be sold to third-party marketers, and it allows customers to opt out of offers from Bank of America. For greater security, online customers must enter not only their id and passcode, but their state. Bank of America also makes available a free Bank of America toolbar that protects users against online fraud by displaying a ScamBlocker( feature that alerts users to fraudulent websites that mimic legitimate bank or Internet payment sites. The toolbar displays a security rating f
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