At Citizens Bank, your safety and security are our priorities. There are a number of ways to help guard against unauthorized use of your account and protect your identity. We also provide you information on when and how the bank would contact you in the Contact Information section.
Understanding the different ways in which fraudsters attempt to victimize people via cyber threats will help you avoid becoming a victim. Stay informed on the latest fraud threats by reading below:
Phishing is a cyber threat by which fraudsters send messages to lure personal information (credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security numbers, passwords, or other sensitive information) from unsuspecting victims. Phishing may occur through fraudulent emails, fake websites, text messages, or direct phone calls claiming to be a financial institution, or another company you have a customer relationship with, asking you for your personal information. Also, Smishing or SMS phishing, where fraudsters attempt to contact you via text messages, is becoming increasingly common.
At no time will you ever receive a call or email from the bank asking you for your login credentials. If you receive a suspicious message asking you to provide your authentication credentials you should decline to do so and call us at 1-800-922-9999 and forward any emails as an attachment to abuse@citizensbank.com .
For more information about phishing visit OnGuard Online.
Malware, short for "malicious software," includes viruses and spyware, a type of malware, which can be installed on your computer, phone, or mobile device without your consent. Malware can be used to steal personal information, send spam, and commit fraud. It can download itself during your Online Banking session in an attempt to steal your sensitive data. As mobile devices have become more frequent targets of malware, there are now anti-malware programs available specifically for cell phones and other mobile devices.
For more information about malware visit OnGuard Online.
Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personally identifying information, such as your name, Social Security number, or credit card number, without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. If you suspect that someone has used your information to open accounts with or conduct business at Citizens Bank without your knowledge or authorization, please call 1-800-922-9999.
The Federal Trade Commission has online guidance about the steps consumers can take to protect themselves against identity theft. For more information about identity theft, you can also visit the Federal Trade Commission Consumer Information website on Identity Theft.
Card skimming is the illegal copying of information from the magnetic strip of a credit, debit, or ATM card. Skimming devices can be placed on or near an ATM or POS device and can be difficult to spot. Following are some pointers on recognizing if skimming is taking place:
Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personally identifying information, such as your name, Social Security number, or credit card number, without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has online guidance about the steps consumers can take to protect themselves against identity theft.
For more information about identity theft, visit the FTC website.
Criminals are using new schemes that incorporate old techniques to try to trick people to provide personal information or account details. These social engineering attempts include use of sophisticated email and text messages appearing to be from legitimate sources and phone calls appearing to be from authentic individuals or service providers, etc. Carefully scrutinize any requests to divulge personal or account details. Understand your surroundings and be wary of those watching and listening. If you can’t verify a request or confirm it as authentic, take the utmost caution in releasing any information.
Notify us immediately if you believe your Card or Personal Identification Number (PIN), or both, has been lost, stolen or used to complete an Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) without your permission. Examples of EFT transactions are: ATM withdrawals and transfers, POS purchases made with your debit or ATM card, online banking payments, and online transfers. These claims will be investigated and handled in accordance with our internal guidelines regarding reimbursement of fraudulent transactions. If you report the transaction in a timely manner, you will not be liable for any unauthorized transactions using your Debit Card, when used for Point of Sale transactions, if (i) you can demonstrate that you have exercised reasonable care in safeguarding your Card from the risk of loss or theft; (ii) you have not reported to us two or more incidents of unauthorized use within the prior 12-month period; and (iii) your account is in good standing. Business customers should refer to Business section for Unauthorized Transaction Instructions.
For more information about your protections regarding unauthorized transactions on your accounts, click here.
Citizens Bank encourages you to help us protect your information and to keep your information accurate. If you suspect someone has made unauthorized transactions on your Citizens Bank accounts, or if you believe that any information about you is not accurate, please call us anytime at 1-800-922-9999.
If you send us email, we may retain the content of the email and your e-mail address in order to respond to questions or concerns that you may have. Since we cannot ensure our response back to you is secure, we will not include personal or account information such as account numbers in the response.
From time-to-time, the bank may contact you unsolicited via phone call or email to inform you of a system issue, inform you about new products and services, to verify account activity, or in an effort to continue to build the relationship. At no time will you ever receive a call or email from the bank asking you for your login credentials. If you receive a suspicious phone call or email asking for your authentication credentials you should decline to do so and call us at 1-800-922-9999.