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Security Center

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Tech Support/Geek Squad Scams

Tech Support scams are not new, but they are on the rise both in our area and across the country. Victims of these scams may incur significant financial losses that can be difficult or impossible to recover. Things to watch out for:

  • You receive an email that appears to be from Geek Squad or another similar tech support company advising you that your annual service contract has been renewed, however you did not sign up for any such service. The email provides a phone number to call if you want to cancel these services.
  • The person who answers the phone instructs you to download a program that will allow them to remote into your computer to help you process your “refund”. They will then direct you to sign into your online banking. While processing your “refund”, the scammer will tell you that you have made an error and received too much money, which must be returned immediately via wire transfer or the purchase of gift cards.
  • You may not realize until it’s too late that the scammer really transferred funds between your accounts to make it look like you received a credit, and the money your sent out was your own.

Republic Bank customers who believe they may have been a victim should contact a bank representative as soon as possible to protect their accounts and initiate recovery attempts, if possible.

We have recently improved our alert system for detecting fraud on Republic Bank debit card. For verification of suspicious transactions that occur on Republic Bank debit cards, Republic Bank will now call, email and/or send you a text message. If we can verify the transaction with you using one of these methods, it may avoid the suspension of your card.

To ensure we have your most current information, we are asking that you call Customer Service at 888.875.2265, visit your local store, or log into online banking and click the SETTINGS tab to update your mobile phone number or email address.

For your protection and overall account security, please avoid sending an email request to complete a funds transfer. Email scams; including phishing, email account takeover and spoofing of legitimate emails, are frequently used by cybercriminals and pose a significant threat. Please consider using online banking or visiting your local Republic Bank store to request such a transfer.

Holiday Season Scams

At Republic Bank, we’re committed to help you protect your business’ account information and practices. As the holiday season approaches, phishing scams and email fraud attempts are on the rise.  Please keep the following in mind to secure your business’ accounts and prevent financial losses.

  • Be mindful of telephone calls and/or emails to your business requesting bank or payment information. Republic Bank will never call and request your account information.

  • Always verify email requests for wire payments from your business vendors and partners. It is best practice to make a telephone call to the requestor verifying the payment request. 

  • Republic Bank will never call or email you or your business to ask for your account or online information.

  • Be sure to delete user profiles that are no longer active and place used or unused tokens in a secure location.

If you have questions on how to better secure your banking then, please call your Treasury Management Officer or Treasury Management Customer Support at 888.875.2265, option 4 and 2.

COVID-19 - Fraud Scams

  • E-mail and text message phishing scams, disguised as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), are being circulated throughout the world. The messages contain malicious links that download malware. The malware gives cyber-criminals access to the victims’ data.

  • Fundraising Scams are set-up by fake charities that solicit donations from consumers. They claim to be involved in fighting the spread of the coronavirus.

  • Scammers are targeting consumers and encouraging them to “reserve a COVID-19 vaccination over the phone”. The scammer will obtain personal information from the victim, including credit card and social security numbers. They claim to be from the CDC, and they are reserving vaccines for “high-risk” individuals. There are NO vaccine reserve programs.

  • Fraudsters are preying on consumers by offering an “advance” on the proposed stimulus package from the U.S. Government. The criminal(s) contact consumers and claim that, for an upfront fee, they will wire the stimulus amount to the victim within hours or days. The fraudster obtains identifying and financial information from the victim and disappears.

  • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued joint warning letters to at least seven companies for “selling fraudulent products with claims to prevent, treat, mitigate, diagnose, or cure COVID-19. Illegal price gouging on safety, cleaning, and treatment products is increasing daily. 

  • Criminals are targeting remote workers. Be aware of phishing e-mails and never click unknown attachments or files. 

Cash App Scam

Cash App is not vulnerable to random hacking. However, in so many of these cases, it turns out the victim called the scammer, thinking they were working for Cash App.They then gave the person their account number, or let them remotely take control of their phone. Please note that there are currently no phone numbers that you can call to speak with Cash Support. As a reminder, no one representing Cash App will ever ask for your sign-in code over the phone, on social media, or through any other medium.

Beware of Fake Checks

Even in today’s digital and mobile world where electronic money transfers are common, consumers and businesses may still prefer the assumed security of paper cashier’s checks or official bank checks for large or major payments. Recipients generally prefer one of these checks over a personal check because the financial institution presumably has already collected the funds from the party purchasing the cashier’s checks or official bank checks. This means the payment is guaranteed, unless the check is counterfeit, so there are risks to consumers and businesses from these types.

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Identity Theft Protection Service


Republic Bank will never request Customer's personal information by phone, through email, or provide links within an email to update information. Please call us immediately at 888.875.2265 if you believe that your Republic Bank account has been compromised.

Important Information for Customers Traveling Regarding Debit Card Transactions

We recently became aware of a high volume of debit card fraud occurring in multiple states throughout the US and abroad. In order to protect your assets and as a preventative measure the bank has placed a Point of Sale (POS) authorization block on all transactions originating in these specific areas. You will be able to use your Republic Bank debit card for Point of Sale Transactions (POS) by selecting “DEBIT” and entering your four-digit pin. You will not be able to perform a “CREDIT” transaction using your ATM/Debit Card. ATM transactions will not be affected.

In the event you are planning to travel, please be prepared to use your debit card for only pin based/debit transactions. We take our obligation to protect the security and privacy of our customers very seriously. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and feel it is important to implement this temporary block for your protection.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Customer Service Center Monday thru Friday, 7AM–11PM, Saturday 7:30AM–5PM and Sunday 9AM–5PM. at 888.875.2265. Thank you for banking with us.


Please read the following articles to stay educated on security