By Rica Keenum | Business Insider | February 2022
PHISHING, SPOOFING, RANSOMWARE AND MORE — online fraud has become incredibly sophisticated, much to the general public’s dismay. Whether at home or the office, we’re all at risk for cyber scams, which is why Citizens First Bank’s Cash Management Officer Jennifer Couture is excited about the new anti-fraud program, designed to heighten the security of online business accounts and safeguard their funds.
“ACH positive pay helps combat fraud associated with electronic payments,” Couture said.
“So on our business online banking, if you’re enrolled for this service, you would receive an alert when an electronic payment is trying to debit funds from your account. And before that transaction can go through, you would have to let us know whether you wanted it paid. Or if it’s fraud, we could return it for you immediately, and it would never post to your account.”
This proactive approach could save business customers the hassle of tracking down and reporting unauthorized debits that they may not catch until reconciling their books — if at all.
“At that point, there’s a lot of backstepping to do,” Couture said.
For business professionals, that equates to losing time better spent on business tasks, and potential disruptions to the workday. Couture says Citizens First Bank works hard to combat problems before they arise, because convenience is an asset for every business owner. Providing these useful services has been the highlight of her career. In May, Couture will celebrate her 10th anniversary with the company.
“I started out working in the branches as a customer service representative and assistant branch manager,” she said. “I was a branch manager when the opportunity came for this role, about 4 ½ years ago.”
Couture’s current title is Cash Management Officer, with a focus on electronic access for business customers — from DBAs and small businesses to big corporations with multiple people.
“I handle electronic services — so the business online banking is basically where most of it starts,” she said. “We help customers log into their online (business) banking, enroll for online banking, maybe add a user to their team — any of that. But the other services we offer to go along with that are ACH origination. If customers want to pay direct deposit to their employees, or their accounts payable, send it electronically to their billers, we can assist with that. We offer remote deposit capture as well, so they can scan their checks right at their desk.”
Couture also looks forward to bringing more ease to her customers’ banking experience via new biometrics options on the mobile business app.
“When you log into your business mobile app, you’ll be able to use your fingerprint with Android or iPhone, and face ID with the iPhone. So just easy access for the busy individual. You can check on your account very quickly, more frequently, too.”
Again, convenience is the cornerstone of these services, and keeping accounts easy to manage and safe from fraud helps businesses prioritize their daily operations — whatever they may be.
“The tools we offer them, it helps them to get more out of their day,” Couture said.
For more information about Citizens First Bank’s Commercial Banking services:
visit www.MyCitizensFirst.com call 352-753-9515, or visit any one of their 14 branches. Member FDIC.