A Freedom Bank debit card isn’t just a piece of plastic. It’s something that’s relied upon every day for groceries, gas, gifts, and so much more. Unfortunately, fraudsters are well aware that debit cards can allow them direct access to your bank account. To protect you from this, Freedom Bank utilizes state of the art fraud monitoring with a proactive, hands-on approach that keeps an eye on suspicious transactions. We know that sometimes this can be a frustrating and an inconvenient process for our customers and we are constantly trying to improve.
In response to the need for a more convenient form of fraud monitoring and notifying, we are introducing text alerts at the end of October. Text alerts are a brand-new debit card service feature that will increase card account security while decreasing instances of customers not being able to complete legitimate transactions.
FreeMSG Freedom Bank MT Fraud Center 888-XXX-XXXX $125.46 on card 1234 at Merchant ABC. If valid reply YES, fraud NO. To Opt Out, STOP.
FreeMSG Freedom Bank MT Fraud Center 888-XXX-XXXX Thank you for confirming this activity. You may continue to use your card. To Opt Out reply STOP.
You will be able complete your transaction by running your debit card one more time after receiving this message from Freedom Bank.
FreeMSG Freedom Bank MT Fraud Center 888-XXX-XXXX Your response has placed a block on the card. Call us immediately at 888-XXX-XXXX, avail 24/7. To Opt Out reply STOP.
Your card will be restricted until you either contact the fraud number provided in the message, or Freedom Bank at (406) 892-1776:
This feature is free to all card holders with a cell phone. To ensure you can take advantage of this new debit card feature please make sure all contact information is up to date with Freedom Bank. You can do this either by calling (406) 892-1776 or by stopping by the bank at 530 9th St. West Columbia Falls, MT. If you decide you do not want to receive further text messages, just text STOP to Opt Out.
Fake messages from scammers will look very similar to those sent by any financial institution. These messages are designed to scare or confuse you and create a sense of urgency usually the text message will reference high dollar amounts. These scammers want you to believe they are from Freedom Bank and will most likely have researched you beforehand. They may look like:
Free Msg- (Insert financial institution name here) Bank Fraud Alert- Did You Attempt an Instant Payment in the amount of $5,000.00? REPLY YES or NO or 1 To STOP ALERTS
If you reply ‘NO’ they will send a second message saying you will be contacted shortly.
When the scammer calls, they may:
The next generation digital solution integrates directly with the FreedomBankMT Mobile application to deliver connected digital-first payment experiences. The additional card management functions create convenience and transparency for every debit card transaction.
These features include but are not limited to:
Our team is available to serve you as always. Our lobby is open M-F 9-5 and Saturdays 9-1. The Drive Up is open M-F 8-6 and Saturdays 9-1. Our ATM is available 24/7.
We will continue to closely monitor the situation and evaluate additional measures to support our customers and community as needs arise.
Updates will be posted here and on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
Thank you for being a valued customer.
Don Bennett, President – 406-892-6622 After Hours 406-270-1143
Max – 406-892-6631
Cameron – 406-892-6626
Trevor – 406-892-6629
Alona – 406-892-6630
Carie – 406-892-6625
Lynette – 406-892-6632
Blayne – 406-892-6634
Monday-Friday 8:00AM – 6:00PM
Saturday 9:00AM – 1:00PM
We encourage you to be vigilant and wary of attempted scams. We will never ask you to share your online banking credentials.
Download the Freedom Bank MT Mobile App. Use your phone’s camera to scan a QR code below.
Learn more about the mobile application here.
Freedom Bank received notification that a large credit card processing center that services several businesses in the Flathead Valley was compromised sometime in November 2013. As a result, persons that used their debit or credit cards at these businesses may be exposed to fraudulent activity. In cooperation with law enforcement and other financial institutions in the Flathead Valley, Freedom Bank immediately initiated a debit card shutdown for those cards that may have been exposed to the security breach. This had to be done immediately in order to protect everyone that was exposed.
Please understand that this breach had nothing to do with the bank’s security systems and has impacted every bank in the Flathead Valley and thousands of individuals. Our staff has been working diligently trying to notify our customers, but due to the high volume of cards shut down, we did not have enough staff, or time, to call everyone before the cards were shut down. Shutting the cards down protected both our customers and Freedom Bank. We apologize for any inconvenience. New cards have been ordered and customers should be receiving them within 7-10 business days. Thank you for your understanding.
Please call us at (406) 892-1776 if you have any questions.
By operation of federal law, beginning January 1, 2013, funds deposited in a non-interest bearing transaction account (including an Interest on Lawyer Trust Account) no longer will receive unlimited deposit insurance coverage by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Beginning January 1, 2013, all of a depositor’s accounts at an insured depository institution, including all non-interest bearing transaction accounts, will be insured by the FDIC up to the standard maximum deposit insurance amount($250,000), for each deposit insurance ownership category. For more information about FDIC insurance coverage of non-interest bearing transaction accounts, visit http://www.fdic.gov/deposit/deposits/unlimited/expiration.html.
You might find yourself wondering just how much of your money is covered by the FDIC since the expiration of the temporary FDIC insurance coverage. The FDIC recently rolled out their Electronic Deposit Insurance Estimator (EDIE), you can find this useful tool at www.fdic.gov/edie/index.html. If you discover that your assets are not fully covered or you would like to more effeciently organize your assets please give Freedom Bank a call at (406)892-1776 and one of our personal bankers will be happy to assist you in your financial planning.
If you cannot find your Freedom Bank debit card or think that your debit card information may be compromised immediately contact Freedom Bank at (406) 892-1776 during our normal business hours to speak to a service representative. If you need to report your card outside of business hours please call (800) 472-3272 to have your card disabled and ensure that no unauthorized transactions take place. Failure to report your card lost or stolen in timely manner can result in a loss of funds.
Identity and data theft is a growing cause for concern for the Flathead Valley. For information on how you can protect yourself we recommend that you visit the FDIC website dedicated to educating consumers on how to keep yourself from becoming a victim.