The Importance of Keeping Your Contact Information Up to Date with Your Bank

Keeping your contact information current with your bank is one of the simplest ways to protect your accounts and make sure you receive urgent fraud alerts, security notices, and important account updates. This post explains why updated phone numbers, email addresses, and mailing information matter so much—especially as online and mobile banking use continues to grow—and walks readers through how to update their details in digital banking. It also shares practical tips for improving account security, from setting up alerts and using mobile wallets to avoiding public Wi-Fi and recognizing imposter scams.

Have you ever emailed, texted, or called someone that you haven’t reached in a while and found out that their information has changed? The email might bounce back on you as undeliverable, or you get a text response that says something like: “New phone. Who is this?” If the person you’re trying to reach is a friend or an acquaintance, it’s a minor inconvenience. If your bank needs to reach you over an issue with your accounts, it’s crucial that we connect with you as soon as possible. This is especially true as we transition to Bank First, after the recent acquisition.

Why It’s So Important to Verify Your Identity and Online Banking Contact Information

Cyber scams and fraud are on the rise everywhere, requiring customers and financial institutions to remain vigilant and collaborate to prevent being victimized. We frequently issue fraud alerts and other important information online and reach out to our customers if we see something suspicious, which is why it’s so important for you to keep your bank fraud alerts contact info up to date at all times.
We also send account security notifications by phone and email, so it’s important to update your address, phone number, and email with your bank. If you haven’t done so in a while, it’s also important to verify your identity online with your banking contact information. If we see signs of fraud or unusual activities on your accounts, we’ll need to contact you immediately. We might also need to reach out to verify your login and identification, send required notices that simply can’t wait, or handle urgent account issues such as issuing cards or dealing with a failed payment. You wouldn’t want a text alert, an email, or a phone call to be delivered to the wrong person or to not be received at all.
Keeping your contact information up to date is crucial, especially as more Americans use online and mobile banking like never before. A recent survey by Consumer Affairs found that, on average, Americans spend more than an hour each day banking online through their smartphones, so if you’re banking with us online you’re not alone. A survey by the American Bankers Association found that 54% of bank customers use mobile apps to manage their bank accounts, while 22% do their online banking using a laptop or desktop computer. The percentage of those using mobile banking apps as their primary banking method has more than doubled since 2017.

How to Update Your Address, Phone Number, and Email with Your Bank

If you've recently moved or updated an email address, updating your contact information within Online or Mobile Banking is easy!
To request updates to your mailing address, email, or phone number, follow these easy steps: 
1. Log in to Online or Mobile Banking
2. Click on the Settings button in the upper right corner
3. Select Update Contact Info
4. Update your contact information in the spaces provided
5. Click Submit when you are finished making changes
Of course, you can also contact us online, visit one of our locations, or call us at 1-800-667-4401 (1-888-255-2114 for businesses).

Why It’s So Important to Verify Your Identity and Online Banking Contact Information

While mobile and online banking are increasingly popular for their convenience and security, they can also leave people vulnerable to fraud attempts—and if that happens to one of your accounts, we’ll need to reach you as soon as possible. Just a few years ago, we alerted our customers about a significant increase in bank imposter scams that targeted them.
This happens when a fraudster reaches out to you, pretending to be from your bank, and claims there’s been suspicious activity with one of your accounts, such as a questionable purchase. The fraudster creates a sense of urgency to try to trick someone into revealing their banking login information, account information, or transferring money to the scammer’s account. We want you to know that a bank would NEVER ask for confidential information such as passwords or PINs. They also wouldn’t ask a customer to transfer money out of the bank to “protect it.”
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports that American consumers lost more than $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024, a 25% increase from the previous year. Investor scams are the most prevalent, with $5.7 billion in losses. Imposter scams came in second at $2.95 billion in losses. Texting and messaging scam attempts increased by 50% in just one year, according to an analysis by Consumer Reports.  Among those who encountered a digital scam or a cyberattack, 30% said it began through a text message or messaging app. This was a 20% increase from the year before.

Other Ways to Improve Your Online and Mobile Banking Security

With cybercriminals lurking everywhere, we want to help our customers be as safe as possible, so we’re offering these tips on how to keep your accounts safe.

Avoid Using Unsecured Networks and Public Wi-Fi

“Free” Wi-Fi might not be secure, so it’s important to use it cautiously. Scrolling a news website or social media through an unsecured network might be okay, but avoid using more sensitive accounts such as email, mobile banking, and shopping.

Consider Using a Virtual Private Network (VPN)

A VPN is a program that creates a kind of digital tunnel for your data to travel through cyberspace. It can significantly improve your online and banking security.

Secure Your Apps and Devices

Leaving a smartphone, tablet, or laptop unsecured is like dropping a set of keys on your driveway. It’s an invitation for thieves to get in. Whatever banking and financial apps you use should have their own passwords, PINs, or biometric security measures. Your device should also have its own password or PIN for an extra layer of security.

Set up Account Alerts

You can create account alerts using whatever specifics you like, and you can choose whichever contact method you prefer (text or email). You might set up transaction alerts whenever a deposit or withdrawal is posted to one of your accounts, or if an account falls below a certain dollar amount. You can also set up security alerts and have us notify you if your email address, phone number, or security alert preferences are changed.

Disable and Enable your Debit Cards

We make it easy for you to disable a lost or stolen debit card, and we recommend familiarizing yourself with this process so you can do so as quickly as possible in an emergency. Simply click on the “My Debit Card” card management tool to disable, then call 800.667.4401 to report and order a replacement card.

Set Your Own Spending Limits

Through digital banking, you can set your own Transaction Controls and Spending Controls and place limits set at whatever dollar amount you like. This can be especially useful if you’re trying to curb your own spending, reduce how useful your card would be to someone who stole it, or if you’re trying to teach your children how to avoid overspending and manage their finances.

Use a Mobile Wallet

A mobile wallet, also known as a digital wallet, is an app on your smartphone and other devices where you store your payment information, such as debit cards and credit cards. A digital wallet is more secure than a physical card because of its security features, such as a PIN or password. You can use your digital wallet to pay for things wherever digital payments are accepted. Just open your device, enter your PIN or password, choose whichever card you’d like to pay with, and tap it at their payment terminal. To learn more about how mobile payments can make your life easier, check out our recent post, “Benefits of Using A Mobile Wallet.”

Let Us Know If You’ll Be Traveling

We continuously monitor your accounts for signs of suspicious activity. If you’ll be traveling out of state, or especially if you’ll be traveling out of the country, you should let your bank know beforehand. You wouldn’t want to risk your debit card to get flagged for a potentially fraudulent transaction or cash withdrawal while you’re traveling. You can set up Travel Notifications online to let us know.

Keep Your Apps and Devices Updated

One of the easiest ways to improve your online banking security is to update it on a regular basis. This includes their operating systems and any mobile banking apps, digital wallets, and security apps that you use. Make sure you only download your updates from a secure network, such as your home or workplace, to keep yourself safe.