Debit Card Holders

The security of your accounts is and always has been a top priority for Southern Commercial Bank. The Identity Theft Assistance Center (ITAC) says that security breaches are up 47 percent since 2004, with damages due to cyber crime costing approximately $100 billion annually and expected to increase. Debit card fraud affects every bank worldwide and is a major concern to us.

To protect our account holders, Southern Commercial Bank initiates the following procedures upon receipt of a Debit Card Fraud Alert Notice from MasterCard:

When MasterCard provides us with a specific list of compromised debit cards usually only a very small percentage of our card holders are affected. When that does occur, the bank immediately cancels those cards, and orders new replacement cards. We notify you if your account has been impacted.

Occasionally a fraud alert is received from MasterCard where specific card numbers are not yet available. In this rare instance, we have to immediately issue a broad-based block of all debit transactions originating from the specific states and/or countries involved. This block temporarily rejects all debit transactions or bills generated from those states or countries. Should this impact the use of your card, you may notify us and we can temporarily unblock your card at your request. We realize this may cause some inconvenience and we apologize, but your security is our number one priority.

Here are some additional tips to help us protect you:

• Please share your email address with us at info@southerncommercial.net so we can send you fraud-related alerts promptly. Please provide your first name, last name and phone number in the e-mail so we can reach you with any questions*.
• For peace of mind, carry an alternate payment method as a back up if you are traveling, especially if outside of the United States.
• Use our credit card instead of the debit card when making purchases online or for recurring payments. A credit card prevents access to your personal funds.
  • Apply for our VISA Platinum Card by logging in to your online banking account and clicking Credit Card Application or call us for more information.

Should you have any questions regarding our fraud procedures and to learn more about protecting your debit card, please contact a Customer Service Representative.

Vince Coleman
President

*Southern Commercial Bank will NEVER call or send an e-mail requesting sensitive information such as Social Security Number, Password, PIN Numbers or Account Numbers. If you are contacted do not share this information without first calling our Bank to confirm the validity of the request.