Fraud Protection & Alerts

We have been alerted to sponsored posts circulating online that falsely suggest there is a lawsuit involving overdraft fees at several banks nationwide, including Montgomery Bank. These posts are not legitimate. They appear to be part of a phishing scam intended to collect your personal information.

If you come across one of these ads:

• Do NOT click on any links

• Do NOT complete any forms

• Do NOT share any personal or banking details

If you should have any questions at any time, you can contact our Customer Service Center at 800-455-2275 or customerservice@montgomerybank.com You can also follow our social media pages for updates.

Please be aware of fraudulent calls and text messages posing as Montgomery Bank, and asking for your personal, confidential information.  Always be alert and know that Montgomery Bank will never call and ask you for your account information, so please do not give account number or debit card information over the phone or via text, or any other personal information. If you receive a call or text that causes suspicion, ask the caller their name and contact our Customer Service Center to confirm. Again, please never provide account or debit card information to any caller or text.  We invite you to learn more about fraud and scam attempts by visiting the link below.

https://www.banksneveraskthat.com/ #BanksNeverAskThat

We are aware of the recent data breach at National Public Data, which included the possibility of stolen data including Social Security numbers and other Personally Identifiable Information (PII). While the number of impacted individuals continues to fluctuate, the total number of impacted individuals is believed to be lower than was initially reported by many media outlets since many of the records stolen belonged to the deceased. 

A hacker known as "USDoD" allegedly hacked a company called National Public Data and stole personal records. The compromise is believed to have begun in or around April 2024, after which the records were posted for sale and later released by other criminal groups onto the dark web. At this time, we do not believe card data was tied to this event. Currently available information suggests this was a compromise of personal information, not credit and debit card information.

Please take the time to review some industry best practices for security and fraud prevention, including but not limited to the following:

1. If you have not already done so, update your antivirus protection and perform security scans on all devices. If malware is found most antivirus programs should be able to remove it, but you may need to seek reputable professional assistance in some cases.

2. Update passwords for bank accounts, email account, social media accounts, and other services used, ensuring your updated passwords are strong and unique for each account. Passwords should include uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters whenever possible and should never include personal information that a hacker could guess or obtain from stolen data.

3. The use of multifactor authentication is recommended on any accounts or services that offer it to ensure proper identity verification.

4. Check your credit report and report any unauthorized use of credit cards. If you notice any suspicious activity, ask credit bureaus to freeze their credit.  You can see your current score and report inside the Montgomery Bank app using our Credit Sense service.  To learn more visit Credit Sense | Montgomery Bank

We recommend using extra caution with email and social media accounts and beware of phishing, which is an attempt to get your personal information or access to accounts by misrepresenting the identity of person or entity sending a message.

Please be assured that your Montgomery Bank information was not compromised. We are informing you of this so that you can take the necessary steps to protect yourself.

If you see anything out of the ordinary, please contact us at 1-800-455-2275.

If suspicious activity occurs on your account, we make every attempt to notify you promptly. If we are unable to reach you, your Montgomery Bank debit card will be hot carded so no further activity can be made until we hear from you.

If this occurs, please call us at 1-800-455-2275.

To legally report the loss of your Montgomery Bank Debit Card you must call Montgomery Bank at 1-800-455-2275.

Under federal law, you can reduce your financial liability for unauthorized use of your Montgomery Bank, ATM Card or Debit Card by reporting the loss of your card immediately after you are able to detect that the card is lost.

Debit card transaction restrictions have been lifted within the US. The restrictions stated below remain in place:

International (anything outside of US):

• All transactions are blocked (Signature and PIN) – unless a card is listed as an exception

Online Transactions:

• International: All transactions are blocked
• Domestic: No limits / No restrictions

Auto Bill Pay with card

• International: All transactions are blocked
• Domestic: No limits / No restrictions

Signature (Credit) Based = No PIN used

• PIN (Debit) Based = PIN used

Before you travel outside of the United States, please contact a Personal Banker or our Customer Service Center at 800-455-2275 to schedule travel notes on your account.

If you would have any questions or wish to order a replacement card, please contact our Customer Service Center at 800-455-2275 or customerservice@montgomerybank.com.

International Transactions

All international transactions are restricted by default. If you plan to travel outside of the United States, please contact your local branch or our Customer Service Center at 1-800-455-2275.

Blocked States

Blocked Businesses

• Cash App – due to continued fraud issues transactions limited to no more than 10 per day.
• Facebook Pay (transactions over $199.99 blocked)
• Crypto.com AVS
• MACQUARIE UNIVER

Debit card transactions at chip capable machines when the chip is not used over $149.99.

Blocked Countries

International transactions are restricted.

If you plan to travel outside of the United States, please contact your local branch or our Customer Service Center at 1-800-455-2275

Last Update:  04/15/2025

Phishing

A technique used to gain personal information for purposes of identity theft, using fraudulent e-mail messages that appear to come from a legitimate retailer, bank, organization, or government agency. Phishers attempt to fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords and credit card or bank account details. These emails can look authentic with company logos and banners copied from Web sites.

Identity theft

One of the fastest-growing types of financial fraud. Without stealing your wallet, a crook can steal your financial identity with as little information as your social security number. Identity theft involves crooks’ assuming your identity by applying for credit, running up huge bills and stiffing creditors – all in your name.

Social engineering

Using human interaction (social skills) to obtain or compromise sensitive information about an individual or an organization. This social engineering could be used to gather personal information on you or other family members. An attacker may seem unassuming and respectable. They may even offer “credentials” to support their identity. By asking seemingly harmless questions, they may be able to piece together enough information to steal your identity or to infiltrate your computer.

Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks

Phishing is a form of social engineering. Phishing attacks use email or malicious websites to solicit personal information by posing as a trustworthy organization. For example, an attacker may send email seemingly from a reputable credit card company or financial institution such as Montgomery Bank. In this email they will request account information, often suggesting that there is a problem. When users respond with the requested information, attackers can use it to gain access to the accounts. It is important to note: MONTGOMERY BANK WILL NEVER ASK FOR PERSONAL INFORMATION IN AN EMAIL OR PHONE CALL TO YOU!
Phishing attacks may also appear to come from other types of organizations, such as charities. Attackers often take advantage of current events and certain times of the year.

• natural disasters (i.e., Hurricane Katrina, Indonesian tsunami, Joplin tornado)
• epidemics and health scares (i.e., H1N1)
• economic concerns (i.e., IRS scams)
• major political elections
• holidays

How do you avoid being a victim?

Do not give sensitive information to anyone unless you are absolutely sure that they are indeed who they claim to be and that they should have access to the information.

Be suspicious of unsolicited phone calls, visits, or email messages from individuals asking about employees or other internal information. If an unknown individual claims to be from a legitimate organization, try to verify his or her identity directly with the company. Do not provide personal information unless you are absolutely certain of a person’s authority to have the information. Do not reveal personal or financial information in an email and do not respond to email solicitations for this information. This includes following links sent in email. Don’t send sensitive information over the Internet before checking a website’s security (see Protecting Your Privacy for more information). Pay attention to the URL of a website. Malicious websites may look identical to a legitimate site, but the URL may use a slight variation in spelling or a different domain (i.e., .com vs. .net). If you are unsure whether an email request is legitimate, try to verify it by contacting the company directly. Do not use contact information provided on a website connected to the request; instead, check previous statements for contact information.

Information about known phishing attacks is also available online from groups such as the Anti-Phishing Working Group (https://apwg.org/).

Device Protection

Install and maintain anti-virus software, firewalls, and email filters to reduce some of this traffic over your personal computers. (see Understanding Firewalls, Understanding Anti-Virus Software, and Reducing Spam for more information). Take advantage of any anti-phishing features offered by your email client and web browser.

What do you do if you think you are a victim?

If you believe your personal financial accounts may be compromised, contact your financial institution such as Montgomery Bank immediately and close any accounts that may have been compromised. Watch for any unexplainable charges to your account. Immediately change any passwords you might have revealed. If you used the same password for multiple resources, make sure to change it for each account, and do not use that password in the future.
Watch for other signs of identity theft (see Preventing and Responding to Identity Theft for more information).

Consider reporting the attack to the police, and file a report with the Federal Trade Commission (https://www.ftc.gov/).

Used with permission and available at https://www.cisa.gov/, the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team, a service of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

With the increase in fraudulent activities and e-mail scams, Montgomery Bank has taken another step to ensure your information is secure by providing a secure email service.

Our secure email service has changed. To send a secure email to Montgomery Bank, we, first, ask that you please send an email to our Customer Service department (customerservice@montgomerybank.com) requesting that a secure email communication method be setup with you or simply contact our customer service center at 1-800-455-2275 for assistance. Our Customer Service department will send you a secure, encrypted email. As you reply to this email, your response back to Montgomery Bank will be encrypted and secure.

Caution: Normal, unencrypted email should not be considered as a secure method of communication. We ask that you NOT include confidential information including account numbers, passwords, social security numbers, etc., in the emails you send to us. To discuss confidential information, please stop by any Montgomery Bank location or call us at 1-800-455-2275 Monday through Friday between 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. or Saturday 7:30 a.m. to noon (CT). The bank assumes no responsibility for interception of confidential information you send in an unsecured (unencrypted) email message.

The security of your private information is very important to us. Montgomery Bank will never provide your confidential information to any source not affiliated with the bank. We will never ask you for your personal information through an email so be aware of the phishers who try to gain this information via email.

The security of your personal and account information is important to us.

We understand that our continued success as a leading financial institution relies on both our ability to offer banking services to you in a secure manner as well as your responsibility in keeping any access codes, passwords or PINs secure. To assist us in offering these Web-based banking services in a secure manner, we employ a number of measures which are described below. These measures allow us, among other benefits, to properly authenticate your identity when you access these services and protect your information as it traverses the Internet between your PC and Montgomery Bank.

Montgomery Bank is proud to deliver the highest level of security for our Internet banking customers. An additional layer of security has been added to our log in process. This will help ensure that your information is secure, protecting you from fraud and identity theft.

Security Image

Enhanced online security is provided for our Internet banking customers that verifies your identity in two ways. Every time you log in to Internet banking, the bank identifies you, and it lets you identify the bank using a private image and pass phrase that is unique to each individual Internet banking user. This level of security is used for routine Internet banking services such as balance inquiries, transfers and eBill Pay.

Security Tokens

Security Tokens are provided to our commercial Internet banking customers that verify your identity in two ways. Every time you log in to business Internet banking, the bank identifies you using a one-time password generated by the security token, and it lets you identify the bank. This enhanced level of security is provided to our commercial customers that utilize more complex Internet banking services such as wire transfers and ACH origination.

Many of the financial services we provide on this web site utilize access codes (e.g., ID and password/PIN). For further details about a particular service’s access codes, follow the links to the discussion of that service’s security specifics.

To further protect you, a timeout feature is often used. This feature will automatically log you out of your current financial service session after an extended period of inactivity on our site.

Montgomery Bank also requires the use of secure browsers to protect you while you access our online financial services. More specifically, the personal and account information that flow back and forth between your PC and Montgomery Bank must be encrypted while in transit – secure browsers are how we achieve this level of protection. Encryption is the process of scrambling information (typically for data transmission) so that it can only be reassembled in its original clear text format by someone who has the correct encryption key to do so. Likewise, when we send personal or account information to you, this technology encrypts it, which then only you can decrypt.

Montgomery Bank employs an additional protection mechanism known as a firewall to protect our computer systems and your information. Firewalls can be thought of as selective barriers that only let authorized traffic (i.e., you, our Online Banking customer) through to Montgomery Bank’s systems.

System and application activity logs are another mechanism Montgomery Bank uses to protect our systems and your information. These logs are reviewed regularly and any anomalies or discrepancies are investigated thoroughly.

Montgomery Bank’s Online Banking product provides additional security measures.

The browsers that Montgomery Bank’s Web-based financial services currently support are listed below. Some versions of these browsers provide 128-bit encryption while other versions support only 40-bit encryption. 128-bit browsers provide strong encryption capability. The U.S. government does not allow the export of secure browsers with strong encryption anywhere outside the U.S., with Canada being the only exception. Montgomery Bank requires its financial service customers to use browsers with 128-bit encryption. Use of 40-bit browsers for accessing Montgomery Bank’s services will not be permitted.

Phishing attackers deceive individuals into revealing sensitive information. They may send an email, text message or even make a phone call to try and deceive you. However, the goal is the same: to trick you into clicking a malicious link, sharing personal information, or downloading malware. 

Smishing is phishing, but through text messages.  Our phones are always in our hands, and texts feel more personal and immediate.  Scammers are aware of this, and they exploit your emotions to make you panic or get excited enough to tap an included link before you think through the validity of the message. 

Examples of Smishing:

• Fake delivery updates. 

• Bank or account alerts. 

• Prize or giveaway scams. 

• Impersonations of government agencies. 

• Job or money-making scams. 

• Account verifications. 

Messages may even be personalized, but this does not mean it is trustworthy. For your protection, take a few seconds before you tap.  A simple pause can save you a lot of trouble.  If you get an unexpected text asking you to click a link, share information, or act fast, take a breath. 

If you’re still unsure, check the situation through official channels (meaning a phone number, contact email, or website not included in the text).  Open the app directly or type in the website yourself – don’t trust the link in the message.  Also, you can show the message to a friend or loved one for their opinion.  A second set of eyes is a great tool for detecting scams!

What to do if you get a smishing text

• If you receive a suspicious text, one of the safest things you can do is nothing.  Don’t reply.  Don’t click.  Don’t engage.  

• Even replying “STOP” signals that your number is active and can lead to more scam attempts.

• Instead, block the number.  Smartphones have a built-in feature to block phone numbers and report them as spam.

Good phone security habits

While spam filters catch a lot of junk, no filter is perfect.  Here are a few ways to reduce your vulnerability.  The same good cybersecurity habits you use on your computer also work for your phone.

• Turn on multifactor authentication for all your accounts.

• Use long, unique passwords for each account, managed with a password manager.

• Keep your phone’s operating system and apps updated, since updates include the latest security fixes.

• Enable spam and scam call/text blocking features from your phone carrier or within your device’s settings.  Talk to your wireless provider for more information.

And remember, as always . . . Stay alert, Stay Vigilant, and Stay safe!

When we hear about financial fraud, we often think of fraudsters using technology or social manipulation to commit their crime. However, this month we highlight a type of fraud that has been used literally as long as bank drafts have been around but still is very common in the fraud criminal’s playbook – Check Fraud. The methods used by criminals to commit check fraud are relatively few and simple, although they can bring significant financial harm to their victims. These methods include:

• Producing counterfeit checks drawn on an actual account

• Altering or “washing” stolen checks and changing the payee, amount, etc.

• Creating checks with a fictitious account, and conducting their crime within float or processing time of each involved financial institution

Fraudsters use each of these types of check fraud in many different scenarios, and in combination with each other. Some common schemes are:

• Mystery shopping. Scammers pretend to hire you as a mystery shopper. They tell you that your first assignment is to evaluate a retailer that sells gift cards, money orders, or a wire transfer service like Western Union or MoneyGram. You get a check with instructions to deposit it in a personal bank account and wire some of the money to someone else, but once you do, the money is gone and the so-called “employer” can disappear, too.

• Claiming prizes. A fake sweepstakes sends you notification that you have won a prize and includes a check, which is counterfeit. You are to deposit the check and send the sweepstakes a money order to cover taxes, shipping and handling charges, or processing fees.  The criminals have their money, and you are left to deal with the deposited fraudulent funds.

• Overpayments.  Selling items online is a very popular and convenient way for divesting unwanted or unneeded items you may have.  However, beware; fraudsters troll these sites to find opportunities to commit their crimes.  In this method, a fraudster will buy something from you online and “accidentally” send a check for too much, and ask you to refund the balance, usually via a money order or gift cards.  The check is counterfeit, the crook has their money and you are left without payment for the sale of your goods.

At Montgomery Bank, not unlike any other bank, we deal with issues like this far too often. No bank is too large or too small not to be aware of and recognize check fraud.  Thanks to our well-trained staff, many of these attempts are caught before damage is done by recognizing oddities in presented checks.   You can help combat check fraud as well by practicing the following preventive activities.

• Use the right pen:  Write checks with black or blue, nonerasable gel ink, which is harder for the criminal to remove.

• Avoid paper checks:  Instead, use Montgomery Bank’s online Bill Pay and money transfer services like Zelle®.  These options are generally a safer alternative to paper checks.

• Mail securely:  If you must mail paper checks, mail them from the post office or a secure USPS collection box—never in your curbside mailbox.

• Track payments:  Confirm checks arrive safely. If a check does not arrive to its intended recipient, request a stop payment and report it immediately.

If you suspect you may be the victim of check fraud, please contact your local Montgomery Bank branch or call our Customer Service Center at (800) 455-2275.  We will assess the threat and help you work through the issue if it is indeed fraud. In addition, please take the following steps if you suspect fraud.

• Contact your creditors (credit card companies, banks, etc.) to dispute unauthorized charges.

• File a police report.

• Place a fraud alert and credit freeze with credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

• Report identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov.

Until next month…Stay Alert, Stay Vigilant, and Stay Safe!

ATM skimming is a type of payment card fraud, whereby thieves collect data from credit, debit and/or ATM cards. The criminals commit their crimes by rigging machines with a hidden recording device, which is essentially another reader placed within the machine. Once taken, the stolen information is used to produce fake cards and spend victims’ money or even take cash straight from their bank accounts. 

Methods of ATM Skimming

Thieves employ several techniques to steal data that’s embedded in the magnetic stripe on credit and debit cards:

• A plastic overlay placed over the ATM keypad captures PINs as entered.

• An overlay placed over the card insertion slot records the data on the magnetic stripe.

• An overlay that covers the whole ATM faceplate is embedded with cameras, as well as card-slot and keypad overlays.

In addition to physical skimming devices, some sophisticated thieves opt for installing tiny cameras on an ATM to record keypad entries and your fingers as you type. In some cases, skimming devices don’t even need to be physically connected to the card reader. Instead, as they collect consumers’ data they transmit the information to the thief via Bluetooth technology.

Even chip-enabled payment cards, which are more secure than magnetic stripe cards, are vulnerable to theft. By placing a super-thin shim between the chip in a stolen card and the chip reader inside the ATM, thieves can capture your PIN and other card information. These devices are called “shimmers,” and as chip technology becomes more prevalent, they are starting to supplant skimmers as thieves’ choice tool.

Common Skimmer Scams

In addition to ATMs, thieves target other areas where you may insert your card including:

• Gas pumps: While paying at the pump is convenient, the locations away from the store are also especially convenient for criminals to place their skimming tools. The method is the same as an ATM: The installed skimming device records all your financial information.

• POS terminals: While these terminals can appear more secure since they are directly under the monitoring of employees, the employees themselves might be working with criminals to install a skimming device.

• Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards scams: In addition to targeting personal credit and debit cards, thieves also prey on individuals’ government assistance cards. In March 2025, a scam in Rhode Island stole around half a million dollars from more than 1,800 families. 

 Ways to avoid ATM Skimming

To avoid becoming a victim of ATM skimming and debit card skimming in general, review your bank statements regularly for suspicious transactions, sign up for account alerts and follow these tips:

• Use debit and credit cards with chip technology, which is more secure.

• When making a purchase at a store, run your debit card as a credit card and do not enter your PIN, or use a credit card to begin with.

• Use a mobile payment system such as Google Pay, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay or PayPal.

Besides using safer payment methods, there are some common-sense precautions to avoid becoming an ATM skimming victim:

• Use your eyes and trust your gut. Watch out for any signs of tampering, including tape or glue. In addition, if there is anything hanging from the exterior of the ATM, or if you sense something doesn’t look right, you’re better off keeping your card in your wallet.

• Avoid using ATMs located in dark, out-of-the-way places, in bars and restaurants or in areas with lots of tourists. The safest place to use an ATM is at your bank. Your bankers at Montgomery Bank inspect our ATM’s daily for any noticeable tampering. While this still doesn’t rule out sophisticated schemers, it is your best option for ATM transactions. 

• If the ATM does not immediately return your card after the transaction, waste no time in reporting it to the card issuer.

• Use a gas pump that is within view of the gas station attendant or pay inside if possible.

• Cover the PIN pad when you enter your PIN — even if nobody is around.

Bottom line

Whether you are using a bank ATM, a point-of-sale terminal at a merchant or doing cardless transactions, there is always a risk of fraud. Chip-enabled credit and debit cards are safer than magnetic stripe cards, but even those can be hacked. Fortunately, you can minimize your risk exposure by following the tips and advice outlined here and being mindful of your surroundings. Above all . .

Stay Alert, Stay Vigilant, and Stay Safe!

As you may know, Phishing is a cybercrime in which a target or targets are contacted by email, telephone or text message by a criminal posing as a legitimate institution for the purpose of gaining sensitive data from unsuspecting victims.  We would like to take this time to highlight a new phishing attack stemming from the recent government shutdown and review best practices for protection against criminals’ attempts.  Below is from an article written yesterday by Josh LeBerte, and found on a Birmingham, Alabama ABC affiliate news site.

With the U.S. government shutdown entering its ninth day, the Better Business Bureau warns phishing scams linked to government agencies are on the rise, with fraudsters offering unclaimed government relief funds or refunds through calls or emails.

These scams often direct consumers to websites like www.myreliefcheck.com, where they are asked to provide personal information that could lead to identity theft. Some sites also require a small registration fee, prompting consumers to disclose credit card or banking details.

The Better Business Bureau warns that scammers are now exploiting the government shutdown by offering funds or benefits that may be frozen, creating a false sense of urgency.

Carl Bates, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau, emphasized the danger of sharing financial information without verifying with actual government agencies.

As this latest scam is one of thousands of types of ongoing scams, it is wise to remember these tips.

• Make sure spam filters are in place for emails coming into your personal network and devices.  Generally, the filters assess the origin of the message, the software used to send the message, and the appearance of the message to determine if it’s spam.  

• The browser settings on your personal devices should be set to help prevent fraudulent websites from opening.  By doing this, browsers keep a list of fake websites and when you try to access the website, the address is blocked or an alert message is shown.  For the ultimate protection, the settings of the browser should be set to only allow reliable websites to open up.

• Many websites require users to enter login information while the user image is displayed.  Requiring login credentials is certainly one way to protect the entry into your personal portals or websites containing your personal information.  However, the frequent entry of the same login credentials can actually increase the chances your username and/or password may be picked up by criminals.  One way to decrease that likelihood is to change passwords on a regular basis, and never use the same password for multiple accounts.

• Monitoring systems help prevent phishing.  Many personal web-protection services, such as Norton Life Lock, are available for your personal use as well.

• If there is a link in an email, hover over the URL first to inspect it for oddities as mentioned in the Hyperlinks bullet above.  Pro tip: Secure websites with a valid Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate begin with “https”. You should avoid unfamiliar, unsecure links and websites until investigated further for legitimacy.

Crooks have no boundaries when developing new scams.  As we see from the example above, their prey are now the unsuspecting people impacted by the government shutdown.  Remember, if you are ever in doubt of the legitimacy of an email asking for information, containing a link or looks suspicious in any way, please do not access the link or respond to the request.  Instead, investigate the legitimacy of the organization by direct contact.  If the legitimacy cannot be verified, delete the email from your system.  And, as always…

Stay Alert, Stay Vigilant, Stay Safe!

Criminals often prey on our trusting nature to fool us into doing their bidding.  A frequent example of this is Payment App Scams.    Payment apps are increasing in popularity as a convenient and safe way to make payments to vendors and other persons.  Avoiding sending payments by mail increases the speed payments are received and eliminates the potential for mail theft (a topic for another day).  Likewise, using payment apps provides added security compared to phone-based credit card payments by conducting transactions in a private portal, of which you control the entry.  However, as payment apps become more and more popular for making payments, fraudsters see it as another opportunity to commit their crimes.

Following are several types of Payment App Scams and tips for reducing risk associated with their use.

• Unexpected Requests
  Be cautious if you receive unexpected requests from strangers or organizations asking you to send money through a payment app. This is a scammer move.

• Sending Money to Yourself
  If someone who claims to be your bank says you have to send money to yourself, you can be 100% certain it’s a scam. Banks never ask that.

• Overpayment Claims
  Be skeptical if a sender claims to have accidentally overpaid you through the payment app and requests a refund of the excess amount. Scammers use this tactic to trick you into sending them money.

• Suspicious Links
  If you receive a payment app-related message that contains a link, never click it. Scammers often send links to fake login pages to steal your username and password.

• Pressure and Urgency
  Scammers attempt to trick you by creating a sense of urgency. If they mention unforeseen emergencies, unverified transactions, account suspension or unsolicited prize winnings, it’s a scam.

The key to detecting and avoiding Payment App Scams is no different than other scam types; if something doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t.  If you are ever in doubt if a transaction request is valid, stop, take a breath and do not interact in any way.  Try to verify the identity of the sender by utilizing known and public contact information for the company making the request.  If a personal request, if you do not recognize the sender, delete it.  It is important to know that you are in control of the next step.  Do not give in to a sense of urgency or assumption of validity, and take time to verify the identity and credibility of the requestor.

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And, as always… Stay Alert, Stay Vigilant and Stay Safe!

We are aware of fraudulent calls and texts being made to some of our customers with the intent to gain critical customer account and, specifically, debit card information. 

Below are details regarding these calls that some of our customers have experienced, and precautions you may take if you receive such a call or text. 

• The text or phone call often appears as “Montgomery Bank” and stems from an 816 area code or in some cases, our 800-455-2275 customer service number.

• The caller poses as a member of Montgomery Bank’s Fraud or IT department and asks questions about supposed fraudulent purchase transactions.

• Ultimately, the caller asks for information about the customer’s debit card, such as the CVV# or PIN to determine if recent purchases were fraudulent.

• If the criminal is successful in obtaining this information from the customer, it is used to make unauthorized purchases or ATM withdrawals with a counterfeit debit card.

It is important to remember that these are random calls being made by the criminal. Montgomery Bank has not experienced an intrusion nor has information within our data records been breached.  However,  If you receive a call or text such as this, or any call with which you are not certain is legitimate, hang up immediately and contact Montgomery Bank at (800) 455-2275, or by using the known contact information you have for your banker or branch, not the contact information the caller provides you. If the original call was us, be rest assured we will not be offended that you hung up on us. We want you to be safe rather than sorry.

Lastly, it is important to know that Montgomery Bank will never call you and ask for your PIN, account/CVV numbers or other sensitive information. When we call you, there are specific security protocol we use to help you identify us. 

Please be aware that fraud attempts are on the rise, and we are here to help you deal with it. Let us know if we can be of any assistance with this or any other matter.

As always…Stay Alert, Stay Vigilant, and Stay Safe!