Fraud Prevention

Protecting your personal information is our first priority. That’s why we have taken many steps to make your online banking experience as safe as possible, and we are continually looking for ways to improve the security of our online services.

Debit Card Authorization

Signature Bank of Arkansas would like to ensure that your card usage is free of hassles and unnecessary charges. Please see the helpful tips below, and remember that if you need assistance, do not hesitate to contact your banker.

When you pay for a purchase with your debit card, the merchant processes your card through a terminal, which places an “electronic hold” on your account; the merchant is then assured of receiving payment for goods sold or services rendered. When the merchant settles their card transactions (usually the same day, but possibly longer) your purchase amount is transferred from your account to the merchant’s account and the “electronic hold” is then released.

Other checks you have written may occasionally be presented for payment prior to the “electronic hold” being released. If this occurs, your account could be subject to insufficient funds or overdraft fees depending on your available balance and if you requested overdraft protection on these transactions.

To avoid unintended fees, make certain that you have available funds in your account before you initiate debit card transactions. Please remember that the amount of any overdraft privilege on your account is included in your available balance and may be accessed via a debit card transaction at a merchant or at an ATM if you have chosen to Opt-In to overdraft protection for debit card and ATM transactions.

Tips to Remember:

• Treat your card like cash. Protect it and keep it in a safe place.
• Report a lost or stolen card immediately. Call the Hotline at 1-800-383-8000.
• Select a Personal Identification Number (PIN) with care and keep it secret.
• Always keep track of your account balances to avoid unintentional overdrafts.
• Never disclose confidential information over the phone or unsecured internet sites.
• When using your card along with your PIN, funds are transferred immediately from your account.
• When using your card along with your signature, an authorization hold is placed on your account by the merchant.
• When using your debit card at certain merchants (such as hotels, car rental agencies, and gas stations), these transactions frequently require an authorization prior to the merchant knowing the actual dollar amount of goods or services sold. As a result, they may authorize more than the amount of the intended purchase, sometimes up to twice the anticipated charge. Therefore, using a credit card versus a debit card to pay for these types of transactions can keep your checking account balance from being tied up in multiple or higher dollar amount authorizations.

My debit card transaction has been declined, what do I do?

During banking hours, you can call Customer Service at (877) 888-8550 and talk to one of our Customer Service Representatives. They will be able to assist you with all of your banking needs. If it is after business hours and you suspect fraud has occurred with your debit card transactions, you can call our Fraud Ops Hotline at (866) 508-2693 or if you are out of the country then dial (515) 558-7608 for assistance.

Staying Safe:

Phishing Emails

Phishing emails could be produced fraudulently under the name of Signature Bank. If you have received an email from Signature Bank asking you to click on a link and verify any personal account or password information, delete it immediately and DO NOT RESPOND. It is NOT our practice to send you an unsolicited email to collect or verify this or any other account information.

Our current internet-banking product is secure and no email lists have been compromised. Frauds like this involve sending spam email to thousands of random email addresses in geographical proximity of the bank, hoping to reach bank customers.

If you received a fraudulent email, please contact us at 479.643.3700 or 877.888.8550 immediately. This will enable us to research the issue and take any action that we deem necessary.

• Avoid The Risks: Don’t email personal or financial information. Email is not a secure method of transmission.
• Look for Cover: Look for a “lock” icon on your browser’s status bar or a URL for a website that begins “https:” (the “s” stands for “secure”) before you choose to initialize any transaction.
• Be on Guard: Review credit card and bank account statements immediately to scan for unauthorized charges. If your statement is late by more than a couple of days, call your credit card company or bank to confirm your billing address and account balances.
• Report Suspicious Activity: If you get spam that is phishing for information, forward it to spam@uce.gov.

If you believe you’ve been scammed:
1. Call Signature Bank of Arkansas at 877.888.8550 immediately.
2. Contact the three major credit bureaus and request that a fraud alert be placed on your credit report. (Equifax 800.525.6285; Experian 888.397.3742; TransUnion 800.680.7289)
3. File a complaint at http://www.FTC.gov or 877.382.4357.
4. Visit the FTC’s Identity Theft web site at www.ftc.gov/idtheft to learn how to minimize your risk of damage from ID theft.

Security Awareness

Signature Bank invites you to peruse the Federal Trade Commission’s Online Privacy and Security page to understand online privacy, how to protect your devices from hackers and threats, and how to avoid common online scams.