Holiday Shopping Guide

Stay Safe this Holiday Season:
Shop & Gift with Confidence!

Stay Safe this Holiday Season: Shop & Gift with Confidence!

Shop with your First Savings Bank Debit Card

Your Card has Micro-Chip Protection
Advanced EMV micro-chip technology with enhanced fraud protection provides an additional layer of security for your transactions. Unlike magnetic-stripe cards, every time an EMV card is used for payment, the card chip creates a unique transaction code that cannot be used again.

24/7 Fraud Protection
We’ll notify you by email, phone call or two-way text alerts whenever suspicious debit card activity is detected.

*It’s important to ensure your contact information is accurate. Contact your local branch if you’ve had any recent changes.

Report a Card Lost or Stolen
During business hours, contact your local branch. After hours, please call 1-866-960-2502.


Add your First Savings Bank Debit Card to your Mobile Wallet

What is a Mobile Wallet

  • A mobile wallet is a virtual wallet that stores payment card information on a mobile device. Your mobile device may have even come with a pre-loaded mobile wallet.
  • This technology allows you to pay for goods by waving your smartphone or smartwatch over the merchant’s chip reader instead of swiping or dipping your debit or credit card.
  • Mobile wallets are a convenient way to make in-store purchases. And since many websites accept mobile wallets, it’s easy to make purchases without having payment information on hand.

Using a Mobile Wallet

  • When you first open the mobile wallet app, it guides you through adding your credit or debit cards. Typically, you just open the app, tap the “Get Started” or “Add Payment Card” button and follow along. You scan or type in your card number, and wait for confirmation and verification from the card’s backing financial institution.
  • Airline boarding passes, memberships, event tickets, loyalty rewards and more can also be added to the wallet in various ways, like selecting the “add to wallet” button from an email or a text message. When you get to the gate or counter, just tap up the appropriate pass and present it for scanning.
  • When you are ready to pay for purchases in stores that accept mobile money, just open your wallet app, hold the phone near the wireless reader at the register and authorize the payment with your chosen verification method. Your screen will confirm the transaction.
  • If you misplace or lose your device, your mobile wallet will remain secure because it requires an authorization, like your fingerprint or passcode in order to be used.

Stay in the Know with Real-Time Account Alerts!

Alerts are a great way to keep you informed when certain events happen on your accounts, for example if your account falls below a specified amount we can notify you by text, email or simply alerting you the next time you log in to internet banking.

To add a new alert, just log in to internet banking and choose ALERTS from the top, right section of your screen. Next, select the category and type of alert you’d like to receive. If you would like the alerts to go to your mobile device, enter your phone number and select your carrier.

Fully Customizable, Real Time Alerts

  • Security Alerts
  • Balance Alerts
  • Transaction Alerts & More

*Message and data rates may apply.


Mobile Payment Apps & Person-to-Person Payments

Whether you’ve heard them referred to as person to person payments, peer-to-peer payments, or P2P payments, this feature allows users to send and receive money from their mobile devices through a linked bank account or card.

With P2P payments, users can quickly send funds while keeping their bank account details private. All that’s required to send a payment is the recipient’s email address or phone number. Once the recipient receives the money, he can leave it in his P2P account for use from there, or he can transfer it to his bank account. Different services may have different steps or requirements, but most work very similarly.

P2P transfers are among the most convenient alternative payment methods available; all it takes is a click. Compared to bank transfers, which can take days, digital payments are instantaneous. And, in many cases, there is no charge for recipients. P2P payments also have a reputation for being secure because minimal personal information is exposed. Stealing personal information for identity fraud is extremely difficult as encryption, tokenization, and other safeguards are used to block fraudsters. In addition to existing security, many P2P apps implement even more strict measures, such as requiring two-factor authentication.

Take advantage of the ease and convenience of P2P payments, but be aware of tactics scammers may use to leverage P2P platforms. We’ll review some common scams on the next page.

*Certain fees may apply.


Peer to Peer Payment Scams

Although P2P payment services can be easy to set up, simple to use, and are generally secure, it’s important to be aware that criminals may try to scam you into sending money.

Be on the lookout for some of these common scenarios:

  • Scammers impersonating your bank may call to alert you about “suspicious activity” on your account and direct you to send money to yourself or “the bank’s address” to reverse a transaction or to verify the account is not frozen. However, your bank will never tell you to send money to anyone, not even yourself. Criminals try to make you believe you’re sending money to yourself, but you’re actually sending money to the impostor.
  • Fraudsters may reach out claiming to represent a fraud department or merchant and ask you to confirm information such as your bank account username and password, credit card or debit card data, or Social Security numbers. But do not share this information — scammers want to create a P2P account with your information, steal your identity, and gain access to your accounts.
  • Scammers posing as a legitimate business may request a P2P payment for a product or service. Once they receive your money, you never receive what you paid for and they disappear. Treat P2P payments like cash — don’t pay until you receive the product.
  • You accept a work-from-home position and the new company sends you a check to deposit, then asks you to send all or part of the funds to someone else using a P2P service. Do not deposit the check — the company is a scam and the check will bounce, leaving you on the hook for the amount of the fake deposit.
  • A scammer “accidentally” sends you money on a P2P service and asks you to send the money back. Never send back the money, and instead contact the P2P service about the error. Criminals’ accounts usually use stolen funds that the P2P payment service will eventually flag as a fraud. If you send money back to the scammer, the P2P service could take funds out of your account or hold you responsible.
  • Con artists may ask to borrow your phone for a contrived emergency. Do not hand over your phone to strangers, as they could make financial transfers using your payment apps and accounts.

10 Do’s and Don’ts to Protect Yourself

  • Don’t send money to someone you don’t know or have never met in person.
  • Don’t share bank authentication or verification numbers or your personal information with anyone who contacts you, even if caller ID indicates it’s a familiar company. Keep your account usernames and passwords, Social Security number, and bank account, debit, and credit card information to yourself. If you’re pressured or have any concerns, hang up and contact your bank directly using the number on the back of your card or on your bank statement.
  • Don’t let any strangers persuade you to send money to yourself or to anyone else.
  • Don’t let anyone you don’t know borrow your phone.
  • Don’t do a Google search for customer service phone numbers. Scammers have created fake websites with toll free numbers that connect to them. Only call your bank using the number on the back of your card or on your bank statement.
  • Do be sure to know and trust the other party who’s receiving your money. Confirm the name, email, phone number, or applicable identifier when you transfer money. If you make a mistake, even one wrong digit, you will send your money to someone else who may not give it back. Just like handing someone cash, your bank can’t get it back for you.
  • Do set up alerts to notify you of any transaction on your account.
  • Do enable multi-factor authentication — a step to verify who you are, like a text with a code — for all accounts and do not share the verification codes with anyone, including anyone claiming to be the bank.
  • Do ensure that any bank or P2P app you use is updated so it is secure.
  • Do be wary of accessing any financial or personal information on public Wi-Fi or mobile hotspots. They often lack security and hackers can capture sensitive personal information on these open servers.

    If you are a victim of a P2P payment scam:

    • Notify the P2P payment platform
    • Contact your bank
    • File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).
    • Source: https://www.aba.com

Safe Online Shopping Tips

  • Use a review website to confirm if an unknown business is legitimate before making a purchase.
  • Stronger passwords reduce the chances of a hacker making a correct guess.
  • Safe websites start with https://
  • Never enter sensitive or financial information into unknown or suspicious emails.
  • Update programs and security software before shopping online.
  • If you’re buying online, don’t do it over public Wi-Fi.

Happy Holidays from First Savings Bank