Some Tri-State banks are stepping forward to protect their customers after the worst security breach in the country.
Last month we told you hundreds of millions of consumers were at risk due to hackers getting into the files of a major credit card processing company.
That company is called Heartland Payment Systems located in New Jersey.
It acts as a middle man, processing debit card transactions at retailers to forward funds to banks.
It handles 100 MILLION transactions per MONTH at an estimated 200,000 merchants nationwide.
Banks all over the country are now being notified that their customers' debit card numbers may have been compromised as the payments passed to and from Heartland Payments Systems.
First Bankers Trust is alerting customers who may be at risk with letters. Even though the bank had nothing to do with the breach, it is issuing new debit cards to customers as a precaution in order to protect their accounts.
Current debit cards will be deactivated in March.
In the meantime, until the new cards arrive and the old ones expire, customers have to be alert to protect themselves.
Sue Dunseth is the Vice President of Operations at First Bankers Trust.
What should customers be doing now to protect themselves?
Dunseth said, "What we need customers to do is thoroughly monitor their account and report that in a timely manner if they should detect any activity they did not authorize, any purchases or any transactions."
She says if you do spot any unauthorized transactions on your statements, you have 60 days to report it to the bank. Then the bank can investigate and replenish your account with lost funds.
Dunseth says you should always check your statements closely, not just now.
No ATM transactions or online purchases were affected.
Another important note, First Bankers Trust also has a fraud detection product in place in order to flag down suspicious activity in your account. Then it can sometimes freeze the use of your card before any money is lost.
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