You decided to brave the holiday crowds. You’ve been waiting in line for hours to purchase a must-have gift, finally make it to the checkout to pay, and the transaction is declined. GASP! What? How!?

A call to the card issuer reveals that your information has been stolen, and your account has been maxed out. You recall a strange phone conversation the week before with someone claiming to be from your bank. They asked you to confirm your SSN and account number. And you did. Because it was your “bank” and you trusted them… We hear stories like this all too often. We can’t stress enough the importance of NEVER providing your full card number, account information, or SSN over the phone.

WHAT WE DO TO HELP

At Gorham Savings Bank, we use a third-party fraud monitoring service that watches activity on your card(s) 24/7. Representatives may try to contact you to confirm transactions, so it’s important to make sure we have your current phone number(s) on file. Some calls from our fraud monitoring service are automated and will ask you to provide information to verify your identity, such as the last four digits, but they will NEVER ask you to provide your full card number, full account information, or full SSN.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

If you’re planning on traveling over the holidays, it’s a good idea to let us know. This will make it less likely that a transaction from outside your local area will be inadvertently blocked. However, it’s always a good idea to have a second form of payment available, if possible.

Get in the habit of monitoring your account activity, as often as possible, using tools like Online and Mobile Banking. If you detect fraudulent activity, notify us as soon as possible by calling the Customer Service Center at (207) 839-4796. You can also lock your debit card, set transaction limits, and set location-based controls with Card Controls in the GSB Mobile App.

If your card is lost or stolen, or if you detect fraud after hours, call:

• • ATM/Debit Cards 1-800-500-1044
  • Credit Cards 1-800-883-0131

Gorham Savings Bank will send text notifications for suspected fraud, but we will never call and request that you provide your full card number to us over the phone. Call us directly to ensure you are speaking with GSB. When in doubt, call the Customer Service Center at (207) 839-4796.