COVID-19 Pandemic Response and Resources

The safety of our clients and employees continues to be our top priority during the Covid-19 Pandemic. We are actively monitoring coronavirus updates and will continue to be guided by the recommendations of local health officials.

For the latest information on COVID-19, we recommend you visit the following websites:

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention GOV/COVID19
California Department of Public Health – COVID-19 PAGE

Branch and Online Banking Services

All of our branch offices are open and operating during our usual hours, from 9am-5pm. A list of branch and ATM locations is available here.

In addition to branch and ATM locations, multiple online banking and mobile banking options are available for your convenience and ease of use. Most transactions can be accomplished remotely using our systems once clients are enrolled in online and mobile products.

For more information on electronic banking options, including ACH, wires, mobile banking and remote deposit services, please visit our website, call us at (800) 796-4777 or email CashMgmt.Support@herbank.com.*

2021 Paycheck Protection Program

As a bank founded by businesspeople for businesspeople, Heritage Bank of Commerce remains committed to helping our customers navigate the many challenges created by the Pandemic. No effort has been more meaningful to us than ensuring access to Federal funding through the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program. As one of the largest SBA Preferred Lenders in California, we were able to step in quickly to assist eligible business customers in applying for PPP funds as soon as the program became available in April 2020. When the SBA closed the program in May 2021, Heritage Bank had funded 1789 loans totaling over $530 million.

If you are a PPP2 borrower and all your PPP loan funds have been used, we strongly encourage you to apply for loan forgiveness if you have not yet done so.

How to Apply:
HBC PPP clients with loan amounts of $150,000 or under should apply using the SBA PPP Direct Forgiveness Portal.

• Be prepared for the forgiveness process by having the following information available:

o SBA PPP loan number
o EIN/TIN number

• You can access the SBA PPP Direct Forgiveness Portal User Guide for help completing your online application, for additional assistance, contact the SBA PPP customer service team at (877) 552-2692, Monday - Friday, 5 a.m. - 5 p.m. PST.

HBC PPP clients with PPP loan amounts over $150,000 should refer to prior PPP Forgiveness emails from HBC for application instructions or contact our PPP support team at pppassist@herbank.com* for a new HBC Forgiveness Portal invitation.

Questions?
If you have questions about your PPP loan or the forgiveness process, please contact us at pppassist@herbank.com.*

*Warning: email address is not secure and confidential information should never be emailed.

Fraud Awareness

Criminals have been taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to launch a new wave of scams. Fraudulent emails are a favorite method to facilitate fraud. For your protection, please keep the following in mind:

• Maintain best practices for strong and secure passwords and email:

o Use different passwords for different accounts. That way, if one account is compromised, the others won’t be at risk.
o Length enhances complexity. The longer a password is, the better. Use at least 16 characters whenever possible.
o Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) when available. Even the best passwords have limits. Multi-Factor Authentication adds another layer of protection in addition to your username and password. Generally, the additional factor is a token or a mobile phone app that you would use to confirm your identity before gaining access.

• Be alert to suspicious emails or text messages. Watch for incorrect grammar or unusual phrasing as these can often be a red flag for a fraudulent email.
• Be cautious about emails requesting changes to existing wire/ACH instructions. Validate any unusual or unexpected requests with a phone call to a known phone number before replying to the email or initiating any transaction changes.
• DO NOT click on anything in an unsolicited email or text message asking you to update or verify account information. Look up the company’s phone number on your own (don’t use the one a potential scammer is providing), and call the company to ask if the request is legitimate.
• Be careful what you download. Never open an email attachment from someone you don't know, and be wary of email attachments forwarded to you.
• Charity scams increase during this time of year. Be cautious and thoroughly research any donation site to ensure it is not fraudulent.