Introducing Card Sentry - our way of reducing fraudulent transactions.
What is Card Sentry?
- 24/7/365 analyst-staffed call center
- Fraud monitoring platform powered by ACI’s Proactive Risk Manager (PRM)
- Automated & human elements together provide a comprehensive debit card fraud monitoring solution
- Evolving approach to today’s fraud trends
- Real-Time Denial (RTD) program to decline transactions matching pre-defined criteria for high risk or matching
Please call us at (270) 526-3881 if you will be traveling, so we can ensure the continued use of your card while you are out of the area.
24/7/365 Call Center
Between 8:00 am and 9:00 pm (local time), analysts place calls to cardholders to verify card activity following restriction for suspected fraud.
Analysts take return calls 24/7. They also field “hot card” calls for cards being reported lost or stolen. If these calls are reporting unauthorized use, a fraud case will be opened if it has not already, and the bank will be notified by email. All fraud is tracked internally on the PRM platform.
Bank staff also have 24/7 access to the analyst team for reporting undetected fraud, addressing new fraud patterns with RTD, and adding cards to the whitelist (exempt a card from RTD denials).
Fraud Monitoring Platform Powered by ACI's Proactive Risk Manager
On average, Card Sentry’s server evaluates over 1.2 million transactions a day to generate approximately 5,000 alerts to be reviewed individually by Card Sentry fraud analysts. Of those 5,000 alerts reviewed, analysts will take action on approximately 200 of them--restricting the card, contacting the cardholder, and emailing the bank. About 50 of those cases will be verified as valid and the cards will be reopened.
Evolving Approach to Today's Fraud Trends
The 100+ alert rules on PRM have been curated over the past ten years and have been routinely modified or re-written from scratch to match changes occurring in the fraud landscape. Networks and merchants alike incorporate new processing procedures, entry modes, etc., and Card Sentry responds with changes to the platform to meet these demands. RTD was introduced two years after the onset of Card Sentry, and Proactive Risk Alerts two years after that.
Real-Time Denial (RTD) Program to Decline Transactions Matching Pre-Defined Criteria matching Fraud
RTD rules must be more specific than PRM alert rules because RTD rules will always decline the transaction. Analysts are not actively participating in the authorization process—they are reviewing the authorization after it has been approved or declined. RTD is black and white down to the finest detail. RTD rules use specific criteria from the transaction message: city, state, and country for geographic location, request amount, merchant category code, entry mode, PIN entry, network, risk score, etc. All criteria must match for the transaction to be declined. While we do have a number of long-term “safety net” rules to cover the highest risk activity associated with ongoing trends, most custom rules should be short-term—matching current fraud trends—to avoid declining valid activity per card association operating rules.
Card Sentry will deploy RTD rules to match a specific fraud event (numerous cards with similar fraud within a select time frame), but custom rules may be requested by bank personnel when a fraud trend may be slower to develop. Card Sentry will research the impact of proposed rules to minimize false positives and gauge projected rule efficacy.
Introducing Account Alerts - another way you can help protect your account.
How Do I Sign Up for MBT Account Alerts?
You are now able to setup alerts from within the Mobile App or Online Banking. Navigate to the account or card on file that you would like to set alerts on. Then click Manage Alerts. Under Alerts, Enable the alert types you would like to receive and input your email address and/or phone number to receive these alerts.
Activating a New Card or Changing Your PIN
When your new card arrives, follow the instructions on the mailer. If you no longer have the mailer, you can call 1-877-965-3344 and follow the prompts on the automated line to activate your new card and choose your PIN.
Note: When calling this automated system, you will need to be calling from a phone number on file.
If you’d like to change your current PIN, you can call 1-877-965-3344 and follow the prompts. You will need to know your current PIN.
If you have forgotten your PIN, you may call Bookkeeping at (270) 526-3881 during regular business hours to receive a temporary PIN. After receiving a temporary PIN, you would then call 1-877-965-3344 to set up a permanent PIN.
Using Your Card
A chip transaction requires the chip to produce an encrypted single-use code to validate the transaction — further protecting cards from unauthorized use.
Step 1
Insert your card with the chip facing up. Keep in mind that not all chip readers look the same.
Step 2
Keep it in the card reader and follow the prompts on the screen to complete your purchase.
Step 3
If a signature is required, just sign, and always remember to take your card when you’re done.
Note: At this time, not all merchants are allowing chip cards to be run as a credit transaction, therefor it’s always a good idea to know your PIN number. If you are using your Spirit Debit Card, remember, you are only earning for your school when the transaction is run as credit.
{beginAccordion}
EMV FAQ
What if the Merchant doesn’t have a chip card reader?
Don’t worry. Your card will still have the magnetic stripe for use at traditional readers.
How about Online and phone orders?
No problem. You can still place online orders and phone purchases the same way you have been.
How can I change my PIN number?
If you’d like to change your current PIN, you can call 1-877-965-3344 and follow the prompts. You will need to know your current PIN.
What if I have forgotten my PIN number?
If you have forgotten your PIN, you may call Bookkeeping at (270) 526-3881 during regular business hours to receive a temporary PIN. After receiving a temporary PIN, you would then call 1-877-965-3344 to set up a permanent PIN.
Can someone steal the information from the chip embedded on my card?
No. A chip card is referred to as a contact payment system, which means that it must be inserted in the card reader to transmit its information. So, a thief can’t steal information from your credit card’s smart chip without actually touching it. And unlike your card’s magnetic stripe, the information on an EMV chip is encrypted. The myth that someone next to you could hack your chip card without touching it was likely a result of confusion with other emerging payment technologies such as Near Field Communications (NFC) and Radio Field Identification (RFID).
How can I request a new card?
If your card has been lost or stolen, please call us immediately at (270) 526-3881 to block all access to that card. You also have the option to turn your card "OFF" within Online Banking or on the Mobile App. There may be a fee associated with a replacement card. Your replacement card will have new numbers, so make sure to update any online or recurring payment information with the new card number and expiration date.
Card Sentry FAQ
Is the Card Sentry fraud monitoring service 24 hours, or only in a certain window?
Card Sentry analysts’ service hours are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Cardholders are contacted between the hours of 8am and 9pm CST. However, our Card Sentry analysts continue to monitor account activity during non-calling hours and take appropriate action as needed.
Can I stop the SMS text messages if I don’t want them any longer?
All you need to do is respond back to the SMS text alert with the word STOP. U.S. consumers who have service through AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile will not be charged message or data rates for our fraud alerts. We absorb that cost for you!
Can alerts be sent to customers traveling internationally?
We are unable to send text or phone calls internationally, but please make sure your email address is current as we can always email fraud alerts to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
How can I enroll in these great services?
We have already included you in the Card Sentry enhanced services as part of our fraud protection services. The MBT Account Alerts can be setup from within Online Banking, if you need help, please call us at (270) 526-3881 or stop by any one of our branches during normal business hours and we’d be happy to get you started.
What triggers these fraud alerts?
Neural networks recognize specific fraud patterns and discriminate between low and high-risk transactions. The scoring component contains a neural engine that can simultaneously examine very large amounts of transaction and cardholder data. For each transaction processed, the neural network assigns a risk score from 0 (not at all likely to be fraud) to 999 (very likely to be fraud). This score indicates how suspicious each transaction is relative to other transactions on record. Transactions that meet the pre-determined fraud score threshold are assigned an alert and sent in real-time to the cardholder.
If I receive a Card Sentry fraud alert, does that automatically block my account from further purchases?
The majority of suspected fraud accounts will be blocked, just as they are today. However, some lower risk items may not be declined. To further protect your account, we suggest signing up for our Debit Card Text Alerts, which will send you a text for every single debit card transaction, regardless of the amount.
If I respond back to a Card Sentry fraud alert that the transaction is valid, will you automatically unblock my account?
Yes. Though, keep in mind, in some situations it could take 5-10 minutes from the initial call/text/email alert for a block to be removed. Once the activity is verified acceptable and updated in the fraud system, you can attempt the transaction again.
I received an MBT Debit Card Text Alert for a transaction that I did not make, but I did not get a Fraud Alert message. Now what?
If the transaction risk score was below the fraud alert threshold, it could be possible that it would not trigger the Fraud Monitoring Service. You would then need to call (270) 526-3881 to discuss the next steps involving your account or (800) 545-4274, option 6 for card services, then option 1 for lost/stolen cards after hours to deactivate your card and prevent further purchases until you can contact the bank during regular business hours to discuss the unauthorized charges.
{endAccordion}