Customer Awareness

We have taken substantial measures at The First to protect your identity and your accounts. Below are some tips to protect yourself, and what to do if your identity is stolen.

The FDIC website offers information and tips to help you if you are thinking about, or already using, online banking systems.

You have probably heard about Identity Theft in the news. Unfortunately, it is becoming more and more prevalent throughout the United States and even throughout the world. For information on protecting yourself from identity theft, visit the Identity theft section of the Federal Trade Commission's website.

To report a lost or stolen ATM/Debit card:
Immediately call 1-866-546-8273 (available 24 hours daily) to report your card lost or stolen. Please make sure to tell them your card is with The First Bank out of Hattiesburg, MS. Then notify The First during business hours at 1-855-257-2265.

As a reminder to our customers: never give personal information to anyone over the phone, the Internet, or through the mail that you are not familiar with or did not initiate. Do not click on attachments included in unsolicited e-mails, especially those that encourage you to act quickly or else suffer some scary fate. These are almost universally scams or attempts to plant malicious software on your computer.

Also, note that the IRS has stated emphatically that it does not communicate with citizens via email.

Text messaging is another way thieves are trying to access your personal information. Consumers have reported receiving a text message on their cell phone that their credit card/debit card/cell phone service has or will be deactivated and they need to text back (or call a number and verify) account and PIN information. Of course if they do, they soon find their account has been hit by criminals.

Please be assured that The First will never ask for personal information in a text message or an email. If you do receive this type of text message, you should file a police report and contact your cell phone provider.

Fight identity theft by monitoring and reviewing your credit report. You may request your free credit report online, by phone, or through the mail. Order your free credit report once per year at annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228

Or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form (website above) and mail to:

Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

Do not contact the three nationwide consumer reporting companies individually. They are providing free annual credit reports only through the contacts listed above.

Only one website is authorized to fill orders for the free annual credit report you are entitled to under law - annualcreditreport.com. Beware of other sites that look and sound similar. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advises consumers who order their free credit report online to be sure to correctly spell the web address or link to it from the FTC's website to avoid being misdirected to other sites that offer supposedly free reports, but only with the purchase of other products.

Visit annualcreditreport.com for more information on understanding your credit score.

To report identity theft to the nationwide consumer reporting companies:

The National Do Not Call Registry is putting consumers in charge of the telemarketing calls they get at home. The Federal government created the national registry to make it easier and more efficient for you to stop getting telemarketing calls you don't want.

You can register online or call toll-free, 1-888-382-1222 (TTY 1-866-290-4236) from the number you wish to register. Registration is free.

OnGuardOnline.gov provides practical tips from the federal government and the technology industry to help you be on guard against Internet fraud, secure your computer, and protect your personal information.

As a reminder to our customers: never give personal information to anyone over the phone, the Internet, or through the mail that you are not familiar with, or did not initiate.

Data breach is on the rise. Please watch your account and all transactions for unusual activity. These types of breaches pertain to debit and credit card transactions.

Please call your local branch or our call center at 1-855-257-2265 if you have any questions or notice any suspicious activity.

A money mule is someone who transfers illegally acquired money on behalf of or at the direction of another. Criminals recruit mules to move money electronically through bank accounts, in person, or through a variety of other methods. Once received, the mule will wire the money into a third party bank account; “cash out” the money received, possibly via several cashier’s checks; convert the money into a virtual currency; or conduct a combination of these actions. Money mules are inherently dangerous, as they are added layers to the money trail
from a victim to a criminal actor.