With Covid-19 cases on the rise, businesses are closing their doors again making it difficult to go about your days the way you did before the pandemic began. Some things haven’t changed like trips to the grocery store, but non-essential activities have slowed or even stopped completely. The experts are recommending that you only go out when necessary. 

Banking is one of those essential activities that must continue. However, there are ways to conduct your banking business with minimal exposure & risk to you. With online mobile banking, you need not leave your home to pay a bill, check your balance, or move money from one account to another. Here are a few tips to make online mobile banking from home easier and safer:

1. Make sure your internet connection and computer are safe. Always have your internet connection password protected. Don’t log in to your account online unless you have up-to-date virus software installed on your computer. Queensborough National Bank and Trust even offers the 2^nd line of defense called Trusteer Rapport which adds a second layer of protection to mitigate financial malware infections. It is available for download through your online banking app.
2. Check your account on a regular basis. Don’t wait for the monthly statement to look at your account. Checking your transactions on a daily basis can prevent thousands of dollars in fraud. The sooner you let us know, the sooner it can be stopped.  Queensborough National Bank and Trust also offers a mobile app that will help you catch fraudulent debit card transactions almost immediately. The app, called SecurLOCKEquip, will send you instant notifications when your debit card is processed for payment to support safe online banking. It even has a temporary on/off switch to give you the ability to deactivate and reactivate your debit card in the app without calling the bank.
3. Know your banker and make sure they know you. We love having conversations with our customers. We want to know you and your financial habits. It helps us recognize behavior on your account that may not be typical for you. This helps us stop fraudulent transactions sooner. Make sure your information such as phone numbers, email addresses, and challenge questions are up to date with your bank. Make yourself familiar with the ways your bank will make contact with you. If your bank calls you and you are unfamiliar with the person on the phone, ask to speak to someone you know by name. Or even better, hang up and call back and ask for someone you know. NEVER give personal information over the phone to someone you do not know personally that has called you. Besides, the bank already has that information so they would not be asking for it. 
4. If you need cash and you must use an ATM machine, make sure you take a moment to wipe it down with disinfectant before you touch it. At Queensborough National Bank and Trust , we clean our ATM several times throughout the day but taking the extra step to clean before you touch the keypad can decrease your Covid-19 exposure even more.

Although our daily routine has been greatly affected during this pandemic, your banking routine can still be a positive experience. Apply these tips to your banking activities to protect your money. Although “negative” is good when it comes to Covid-19, it’s not good when it comes to your finances!

Leigh Jordan, Sandersville Branch Manager and Loan Officer