Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

To make sure that its clients are provided the best service possible in fraud protection, Covington County Bank launched its new text alert system yesterday.

“So many of our customers are not answering the 1-800 numbers because we get so many scammed calls,” Marketing and public relations representative Tari McClung said. “That is why we have decided to go with this product, so our customers can get notified quicker. I mean, our fraud department always leaves a message, but you have to call us back and sometimes customers don’t always check their messages all of the time.”

With the new fraud protection messages, McClung said they will always come from the same number.

“It will always come from a short number, which is 37268,” McClung said. “It is just so important to us to make sure that our customers have this quick service.”

An example of how the fraud protection messaging works is that if a customer goes to a grocery store in Andalusia, and then makes a purchase online with their credit card and it shows that the online purchase was in California, CCB’s fraud protection radar will get an alert and immediately send the customer a text asking if it was them that made the purchase.

“Before, I would get a phone call asking for verification if I made that transaction,” McClung said. “Now, we are trying to get customers quicker. Within just a few seconds of you swiping that card, a text is going to come through. The customer just has to text ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ They will never ask you for any personal information. The customer can also opt out of the program if they do not want to receive the text messages. If they do that then they will go back to receiving the phone calls.”

Below is everything the customer needs to know about CCB’s fraud monitoring messages.

Beginning today customers that have their cell phone number on their account will begin receiving a text message if a fraud alert is issued on their account.

• All customers are automatically enrolled if a cell phone number is on file.
• There is nothing our customers have to do to sign up for this service.  Customers can opt out once they receive a text message if they wish to.
• We will never ask for personal information through a text.  Customers will only answer Yes or No. It is very important that customers never give out personal information via text.
• Customers that do not have a cell phone on file will still continue to receive phone calls from our Fraud Department if a fraud alert is issued.
• It is important and beneficial that customers have the most updated information on file so they can be contacted.
• Always call the bank if you are uncomfortable with answering the text or phone call.
• If you reply No to a fraudulent alert text your card will be automatically blocked so no other transactions can post.
• If you reply Yes you may continue to use our card.