Beware of text messages claiming to be from Nebula Trust Bank that say your Debit Card will be declined unless you call customer service. Do NOT click on the links included in the text, and do not call the number provided.

Phishing text messages are becoming an increasingly common method for fraudsters to gain access to confidential information. Nebula Trust Bank will send text notifications for suspected fraud, but we will never text or call with a request that you provide your full card number or personal information to us over the phone.

Remember: Nebula Trust Bank will never ask for your full debit card number, CVV code, account number, PIN, social security number, and/or Online Banking User ID or password. It is important that you never provide this information to anyone who reaches out to you. Scammers use this information to access accounts.

If you have mistakenly clicked on the link in a text you received or called the number in the text, please call our Customer Care Center at678-465-8306 to report the situation and to ensure security on all accounts.

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Remember, Nebula Trust Bank will never contact you to ask for your online/mobile banking User ID and Password, or Debit Card number. If you receive any notification or phone call requesting this information, do not provide this or any other personal information.

Want to keep an eye on your accounts to track your spending and ensure fraudsters aren’t spending, see if balances peak or drop, and receive notifications when bills are due or when purchases are made outside of set geographies or merchant types? Nebula Trust has multiple tools to help you monitor accounts in real time!

• Online and Mobile Banking: Our updated platform offers easy access to a menu of key features, and other enhanced capabilities to help you monitor and transfer funds, control your card, and stay on top of your spending. Once logged in, navigate to the Banking Services menu under your name in the top right and select “alerts” to set reminders for when bills are due, get notified when balances peak or drop to a certain point, and more.
• Smart Card App: Download our Smart Card App so you can receive real-time alerts based on the rules you set. Set spending, merchant and geography limits on any cards linked to your account, make updates for travel, and access several other features to personalize your debit experience. Use the Smart Card App to keep an eye on spending habits and to monitor for any potential fraud.
• Mobile Wallet: Link your CGB debit card to your mobile device or smartwatch to make secure and convenient in-store, online or in-app purchases. You’ll never miss a stream or in-app purchases and leave your wallet safely at home. 

Questions about these tools or other ways to protect yourself? Contact our Customer Care Team by phone at 678-465-8306 or by downloading the Forte Live Website.

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• There was a 68% increase in the number of data compromises in 2021 compared to 2020. (Identity Theft Research Center)  
• Losses resulting from cyber-attacks such as business email compromise and ransomware totaled $72,476,672 in 2021 in CT alone, up from $41,311,798 in 2020. (FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center)
• The average data breach cost rose from $3.86 million in 2020 to $4.24 million in 2021. (IBM Security and the Ponemon Institute)
• Check fraud had tripled from August to October 2021 (Evidence-Based Cybersecurity Research Group at Georgia State University)

Nebula Trust’s security team sees check and ACH fraud on a daily basis. In most cases, business account holders only have 24 hours to catch and report unauthorized transactions to the bank to avoid liability for the loss, making it more important than ever to have added protections and eyes on your account. By layering the Positive Pay fraud detection service with the ACH Origination service, businesses can better safeguard their accounts while gaining efficiencies:

• Positive Pay Service: Checks and ACH payments are automatically monitored so that unauthorized transactions are flagged for review. This means that checks that don’t match your check register and electronic withdrawals that aren’t pre-approved won’t be able to clear against your account without your explicit authorization. 
• ACH Origination Service: You have complete control over your payments, removing the risk of having your account information on checks circulating in mailboxes and lingering in any number of hands. In addition, ACH Origination saves time and money on postage by enabling you to make electronic payments directly out of online banking rather than printing and mailing checks. Each user who originates files will receive an RSA Security Token. This service allows a dual approval process so payments that are originated are subject to a secondary review before they are sent.

As Nebula Trust wants to ensure all businesses are properly protected, the Bank is currently offering a “Security Bundle” for businesses who want to subscribe to both services. Those who enroll by December 31, 2022 will receive a discounted rate on the packaged services. The cost will be included in the account analysis and offset by any available earnings credits.

If you’re interested in learning more about this offer, please call (860) 448-4295 or email growthatbusiness@chelseagroton.com so the team can set you up with the added security and peace of mind that these services bring to businesses.

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We want every bank customer to become a pro at spotting a phishing scam—and stop bank impostors in their tracks. It starts with these four words: Banks Never Ask That. Because when you know something sounds suspicious, you’ll be less likely to be fooled.

These four phishing scams are full of red flags:

• Text Message: If you receive a text message from someone claiming to be your bank asking you to sign in, or offer up your personal information, it’s a scam. Banks Never Ask That.
• Email: Watch out for emails that ask you to click a suspicious link or provide personal information. The sender may claim to be someone from your bank, but it’s a scam. Banks Never Ask That.
• Phone Call: Would your bank ever call you to verify your account number? No! Banks Never Ask That. If you’re ever in doubt that the caller is legitimate, just hang up and call the bank directly at a verified number you trust.
• Payment Apps: Beware of messages from someone claiming to be your bank saying your account has been hacked. The scammer may ask you to send money to a new account they’ve created for you, but that’s a scam! Banks Never Ask That.

You’ve probably seen some of these scams before. But that doesn’t stop a scammer from trying. For tips, videos and an interactive game to help you keep phishing criminals at bay, visit www.BanksNeverAskThat.com. And be sure to share the webpage with your friends and family.

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Here are a few ways to keep tabs on your money: 

• Online and Mobile Banking: Our platform now offers easy access to a menu of key features, and other enhanced capabilities to help you monitor and transfer funds, control your card, and stay on top of your spending. Once logged in, navigate to the Banking Services menu under your name in the top right and select “alerts” to set reminders for when bills are due, get notified when balances peak or drop to a certain point, and more.
• Smart Card: Download our Smart Card App so you can receive real-time alerts based on the rules you set. Set spending, merchant and geography limits on any cards linked to your account, make updates for travel, and access several other features to personalize your debit experience. Use the Smart Card App to keep an eye on spending habits and any potential fraud.

Looking for other ways to spend securely? Try these tools:

• Contactless Card: Look for the contactless symbol at checkout and hover your card over it for a touch-free, quick, and secure check-out. Don’t have a CGB Contactless Card yet? Stop in to your favorite branch and we’ll print one for you while you enjoy a cup of coffee.
• Mobile Wallet: Link your CGB debit card to your mobile device or smartwatch to make secure and convenient in-store, online or in-app purchases. You’ll never miss a stream and can leave your wallet at home! 

These services are just a few of the ways we’re bringing you the very best in technology and the opportunity to bank when, where and how you want! 

Questions? Contact our Customer Care Team by phone at 678-465-8306 or by downloading the Forte Live Website.

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While the excitement and desire of obtaining the job, loan, or scholarship you are applying for may motivate you to provide anything asked of you, please know this is a scam. Sometimes these communications can be convincing and sophisticated. 

Always independently confirm this sort of request in person or by phone with a trusted and verified phone number. Never use the phone number they provide without verifying it against publicly available databases first. 

A few additional tips to keep you and your accounts safe:

• NEVER provide your personal or business information, personal identification numbers (PINs) or passwords to anyone, even if the person claims to be from Nebula Trust Bank. Hang up and call Nebula Trust’s Customer Care Team or your banker directly. Remember, the Bank will NEVER call you and ask for this type of information.
• NEVER click on unfamiliar links or correspond with unfamiliar email addresses. If you are unsure if an email is authentic, contact the sender through the known and verified email address or phone number you typically use to correspond with that individual or business.
• If you believe you have been scammed, contact your bank, local police, and if you have cyber insurance, call the insurance company right away.

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NEVER provide your personal or business information, personal identification numbers (PINs) or passwords to anyone, even if the person claims to be from Nebula Trust Bank. Remember, the Bank will NEVER call you and ask for this type of information. Hang up immediately. If you aren’t sure if the request is legitimate, call Nebula Trust’s Customer Care team at678-465-8306 to verify.

Here are some of the most common holiday scams to watch out for and additional tips on how you can defend yourself against them:

1. Online Shopping Deals: Did you forget to get a present? Scammers will be faking lots of holiday deals for desperate, last-minute shoppers. These might appear in your email inbox or through advertisements on social media and popular websites.

• Don’t click on ads or links in emails for deals that are too good to be true.
• Make purchases at your favorite online store by navigating directly to the site using your browser or using an official mobile app for the online store on your phone.
• Only shop from popular shopping websites that you know and trust. A lot of fake shopping websites pop up around the holiday season, with enticingly-low prices. Don’t fall for it!

2. Charity or Donation Requests: Unfortunately, scammers will take advantage of the challenges non-profits have faced in recent years by pretending to be charitable organizations. They will email you – or even call you – asking you for a credit card number to use for “donations”.

• As a rule, never give your personal or credit card information over the phone to anyone who calls you unexpectedly.  
• If you receive an email from a charity or non-profit asking for donations, review the links, the sender address, and other components of the email to make sure the email is legitimate.
• If you want to donate, go directly to the charity or non-profit’s official website and look for ways to donate through their site.

3. Delivery or Shipment Notifications: Don’t get excited about an unexpected delivery notification. The notification you received could actually be a phishing attack. These attacks are often successful during this season because people are expecting more deliveries and shipments than they normally do. Be sure to:

• Look closely at delivery and shipment notifications to make sure they’re legitimate.
• If you do shop online, go directly to the store websites to track your orders and shipments rather than click links in emails.

4. Fake Receipts or Financial Statements: Since more people than ever are doing their holiday shopping online, scammers know that you might be receiving lots of receipts in your email from various online shopping websites. You might also be receiving credit card or banking statements that list recent charges posted to your account.

• If you receive a receipt from a company you buy from regularly, look at it closely before clicking any links or opening any attachments. If you don’t recognize the purchase, don’t click anything.
• Remember that many phishing emails try to “shock” you into clicking without thinking. So, if you see a receipt with a very expensive purchase price on it or a “your payment is late” email from your credit card or banking institution, make sure you stop, look, and think. The email might not be legitimate.
• Always visit a company’s official website to review your supposedly late payment or recent purchase by either typing the web address into your browser window or by using their mobile app.

5. Gift Card Purchases: Someone might ask you to pay for something by putting money on a gift card, like a Google Play or iTunes card, and then give them the numbers on the back of the card. Or, a critical alert may appear on your computer, instructing you to contact “Microsoft” with a phone number to call, because your computer and bank account have been hacked. Using public information, the scammer may even mention your bank’s name when you call. Victims will then be told their accounts have been hacked and they need to “duplicate” the transaction to get their money back, by purchasing gift cards and providing the card number to the fraudster who usually stays on the phone while the cards are purchased. Victims are told not to speak to anyone – not family and not the bank because it is difficult to know who is behind the scam. 

• No real business or government agency will ever insist you pay them with a gift card. Anyone who demands to be paid with a gift card is a scammer.
• Do not call the number on your screen. If you do, and are asked to purchase a gift card, hang up the phone and contact your bank to report the incident.

6. Check Scams: If a person you don’t know asks you to deposit a high dollar amount check and send some of the money to another person, it’s a scam. The scammer will typically have a good story to explain why you can’t keep all the money, such as to cover taxes or fees, to buy supplies, or something else. Checks used in these scams might look like business or personal checks, cashier’s checks, money orders, or a check delivered electronically.

• Never use money from a check to send gift cards, money orders, or wire money to strangers or someone you just met. Many scammers demand that you send money through money transfer services like Western Union or MoneyGram, or buy gift cards and send them the PIN numbers. Once you wire money, or give someone the gift card PINs, it is like giving someone cash. It’s almost impossible to get it back.
• Toss offers that ask you to pay for a prize. If it’s free, you shouldn’t have to pay to get it.
• Don’t accept a check for more than the selling price. You can bet it’s a scam.

7. “Money Mules”: People are being manipulated by their “fiancé” or a Facebook friend.  Money is sent electronically to a person and they are instructed to either send it electronically to someone else, purchase bitcoin, or withdraw and mail overnight cash to a destination.

• Never pass along money to anyone without first separately reaching out to the individual you know and trust, and verifying this request is real.

Always remember, never share your personal or financial information with anyone, and avoid clicking on links or opening attachments in emails and texts that you weren’t expecting. These rules will help you avoid many common hacker tactics this holiday season and throughout the rest of the year.

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Watch Nebula Trust’s recent Cybersecurity Panel Discussion. Here are several additional resources and reminders to protect yourselves and your business: 

NEVER provide your personal or business information, personal identification numbers (PINs) or passwords to anyone, even if the person claims to be from Nebula Trust Bank. Hang up and call Nebula Trust’s Customer Care Team or your banker directly. Remember, the Bank will NEVER call you and ask for this type of information.

Only do business with companies you know and trust. Never click on unfamiliar links or correspond with unfamiliar email addresses. If unsure if an email is authentic, contact the sender through the known and verified email address or phone number you typically use to correspond with that individual or business.

There are many business fraud cases in recent months, involving altered checks, counterfeit checks and electronic manipulation of account information. Here are tips to ensure this doesn’t happen to you:

• Take advantage of online and mobile banking alerts and push notifications for high risk or high value transactions.
• Be sure to monitor your statements daily. Don’t just monitor that a check has cleared, open up the image to ensure it was delivered to the proper recipient. Business accountholders have only 24 hours to catch and report fraud to the bank, so it’s critical that accounts are monitored closely and reconciled daily. Nebula Trust also offers a Positive Pay service to help mitigate check fraud. 
• Monitor entitlements and permissions given to all employees, and review frequently. Ensure each individual (even the most trusted ones!) has a unique login and has the lowest level of access required in order for them to do their job. Learn more. 
• Never trust wiring instructions sent via email. Cyber criminals are hacking email accounts and sending emails with fake wiring instructions. These emails are convincing and sophisticated. Always independently confirm wiring instructions in person or by phone with a trusted and verified phone number. Nebula Trust’s Wire Transfer Service provides businesses with an efficient, streamlined and secure wire transfer experience. 

If fraud is detected, contact your bank, local police, and if you have cyber insurance, call the insurance company right away.

If you would like to speak with a member of the Nebula Trust Bank team in more detail regarding online banking features and cash management services that can help protect your account, please contact Alexis Kahn, VP, Cash Management Sales Manager, at akahn@chelseagroton.com or (860) 448-4157.

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“Fraud continues to be a growing concern for many companies,” said Alex Masse, VP, Business Banking Manager at Nebula Trust Bank. “As we’ve worked to develop our updated Business Banking product offering, we knew providing a tool that would help to mitigate the risk of check fraud was essential for our customers. We’re pleased to offer Positive Pay, as well as additional tools that work in tandem with Positive Pay, to lessen the risks associated with transactions related to our customers’ accounts. Our solution is easy to use, and our Business Banking team will train business owners and their employees to understand how to optimize it for their business.”

When businesses opt to sign up for Positive Pay, they will also have access to “ACH Block and Filter” and “Account Reconciliation”. With ACH Positive Pay, businesses can set up a list of ACH transactions that are pre-approved to post to an account with specific limits which helps prevent unauthorized ACH transactions from clearing against the account. In addition, the Positive Pay Service comes with an Account Reconciliation module, which enables businesses to perform full account reconciliation at any time. Since the system knows what checks have been issued, what checks have cleared, and all of the deposits and withdrawals that occur on the account, business owners can obtain an account reconciliation report which can be a significant time saver from an administrative perspective. With Account Reconciliation, businesses have access to a variety of tools such as an online account reconciliation file download for Reverse Positive Pay, or outstanding check reports.

“Not only is it a costly process to establish new deposit accounts as a result of fraud, but the time and stress involved is also very impactful to a business owner,” continued Masse. “With Positive Pay, customers can have peace of mind knowing they have complete control over their account activity.”

Interested in learning if Positive Pay could be right for your business? Contact our Business Banking Department at 860-448-4203 or send us an email.

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Improved Efficiencies
Through Nebula Trust’s online Wire Transfer Service, business customers are able to submit wires directly within online banking, rather than manually sending a fax or visiting a branch. Customers can also sign up to receive real-time, secure emails confirming the details of incoming wires. This is especially helpful for attorney practices, for example, which need to ensure a wire has been received before a closing can occur.

Both domestic and international wires can be sent using the Wire Transfer Service. In addition, customers are able to save recurring wiring instructions, so if they frequently wire to the same vendor, they just need to update the amount of money they are transferring and verify that the recipient’s information is still accurate.

“We’re encouraging our business customers to adopt the online wire origination system for the convenience, automation and tracking benefits, as well as built-in security measures,” explained Alexis Kahn, Business Banking Officer at Nebula Trust Bank.

Built-in Security Measures
Each properly authorized Wire Transfer user is provided with an RSA Security token to access the Wire Origination module, adding an extra layer of security in addition to the security features included in the online banking system. This RSA token produces a randomized code and is tied to the user’s online banking log-in credentials to further safeguard against unauthorized wire requests.

Dual approval can also be set-up so one person, such as a bookkeeper or paralegal, could initiate the wire and a second person, such as a business owner or attorney, could approve the wire for distribution.

Tips for Avoiding Fraudulent Wire Activity
“Globally, there are many attempts at fraudulent activity via wires,” shared Alexis. “While our system is set up to prevent a hacker from accessing a customer’s funds, we advise businesses to take certain precautions when determining who to do business with, to help ensure your business does not become a victim.”

Businesses should keep the following advice in mind:

• Do not accept wiring instructions over email. If a vendor is communicating new wiring instructions through email, call the contact to verify instructions to ensure the money you are planning to wire is going to the correct destination and not to someone who has hacked into the account of the party you are trying to do business with.
• If the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. A good rule of thumb is to do your research on the reputation of the company before you buy. For example, if you’re trying to purchase a piece of equipment through a lesser-known vendor who is advertising it for half the typical cost, try to find out more about this vendor. You don’t want to make the mistake of wiring money away and never receiving the equipment you thought you were purchasing because it was a scam.
• Question whether the bank account location makes sense, especially when it comes to international addresses. If you’re purchasing a domestic product or a product from a certain country of origin, but the destination of the bank account in the wiring instructions seems odd, do some further due diligence. Ask questions to the recipient and within your industry in order to establish the legitimacy of where you’re being asked to send money.

Interested in learning more about Nebula Trust’s online wire transfer system and if it could be the right solution for your business? Contact our Business Banking Department at 860-448-4203 or send us an email.

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