• Measures are in place to assist customers experiencing financial hardship related to the Coronavirus outbreak;
• All non-essential business-related travel has been suspended for First Financial Corporation’s associates;
• We are sustaining critical support in vital facilities, complemented by work from home for fully equipped key associates as long as it is safe to serve and work.
• Critical technology and processes have been shifted to multiple geographically separated locations;
• Daily cleaning services, including disinfecting surfaces, have been augmented and extra inventory is on hand in the event of a supply disruption;
• We are employing social distancing and other measures to avoid close physical proximity in our locations to minimize the potential for transmission of the virus or other health risks. This includes use of electronic communication tools in lieu of large group meetings and a suspension of work-related participation in conferences;
• The call center capabilities have been enhanced; and
• We are ensuring all communication channels are active and readily available to keep the community advised of changes in banking center location availability.

We are closely monitoring government and regulator communications to minimize disruption when the virus impacts our communities.

To reduce potential exposure we are temporarily limiting in-person banking. While our lobbies are temporarily unavailable, our staff is onsite and drive-up windows and ATMs are available during the day.

In-person banking

If you need to meet us in person, we will schedule an appointment. We have set up tables at all our locations to maintain the minimum 6 feet distance recommended by the CDC. Email info@first-online.com or call your local banking center for further assistance.

We encourage you to use our online banking and mobile app services, available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. With online and mobile banking you’ll have 24-hour account access to pay bills, deposit checks, transfer money, sign up for new accounts and apply for loans. You can also sign up to receive text alerts on your phone to get real-time account balances and transaction notices. It’s simple, fast and easy.

• Click to enroll in Consumer online banking now. If you need help to sign up, please call us at 800-511-0045.
• Call your local banking center  to enroll your Business in online banking
• Find your closest FirstPlus ATM
• Login to your personal account or business account
• Download our mobile app for Android and iOS
• Visit our phone, online, and mobile app banking FAQ for more information on how to use these tools at home.
• Telephone banking is available 24-hours a day and can be reached at 800-459-1672.
• Open a new account

If you want to get a good rate to buy a home, refinance or apply for a personal loan, just click on one of these links. It only takes a few minutes and if you need help, our bankers are only a phone call away.

• Apply for a credit card or a personal loan
• Take advantage of low mortgage rates and apply for a mortgage or refinance
• Call your local banking center to open or take an advance on a credit line

If you need immediate account or technical assistance or are temporarily affected financially by this event, contact us online or call us toll-free at 800-511-0045.

Monday – Friday

8a.m. – 7p.m. ET

Saturday

9a.m. – 2p.m. ET

• If your First credit card has been lost, stolen or damaged, call 877-404-1009 (24-hours)
• If your checkbook has been lost or stolen, call 812-238-6324
• To report unauthorized account activity, call 812-238-6324
• If you have provided personal information as part of a possible fraud, call 800-511-0045 or 812-238-6000
• To report all other suspicious activity, call 800-511-0045 or 812-238-6000

In addition to the health risks associated with COVID-19 there are unscrupulous individuals who take advantage of peoples’ legitimate concerns about their health and welfare by attempting to commit fraud against them. Here’s some important information regarding what is happening and how you can protect yourself:

What’s going on? 

Several states, including all four of the states we serve, have reported cases of the COVID-19 virus. Several state governors have also gone so far as to declare states of emergency in order to facilitate their response to this health concern. Schools have been closing and public events have been canceled. It’s scary out there. Whenever there are issues or events that trigger emotional distress or even curiosity, cybercriminals will attempt to take advantage of these topics. There have been several fraudulent emails already attempting to take advantage of this health emergency. Here are a few examples:

• An email from a spoofed news outlet claiming a cure has been found or a pandemic has been declared. A link is supplied to access an article for the victim to click to read the additional details.  While the act of clicking alone may sound benign, that is enough for the cyber criminals to infect your system, steal data, or hold you hostage with ransomware.
• An email claiming to be from Human Resources or company leadership with an updated work from home policy in response to the virus. The memo is provided in an attachment that needs to be opened. The act of clicking on the attachment and opening the document could be enough in and of itself to compromise your system.
• A text message (or telephone call) from a fraudulent charity soliciting donations to find a cure or help those impacted. As with any time of crisis, people will try to create fraudulent schemes to steal money.
  

What do you need to do?

Pause, Inspect, Think. Emotions can run high in these situations. We want to protect ourselves. We want to protect our families. We want to protect our employment. We want to help others. Be skeptical in anything sent to you about this situation.

• Warning Signs
  Text messages and correspondence containing certain red flags should alert users to a possible phishing or SMiShing attack, including:

• • Misspellings
  • Grammatical errors
  • Offering fantastic prizes
  • Creating a sense of urgency
  • Requesting personally identifiable information (PII)
  • Requesting User IDs and Passwords
  • Threatening with consequences
  • Making demands

First Financial Bank will NEVER call, email, or text a request for your user ID and password.

Beware of Unsolicited Contact
Look at who sent the email, text message, phone call, letter, etc. to you. Is this someone that you know? If it isn’t, pause. Look closely at the sender and the content. If it isn’t something directly relevant to you, delete it.

Even Your Friends Could Get Hacked and That May Affect You
If the correspondence is from someone you know, were you expecting it? Is it something they normally send to you? If you weren’t expecting it, or it’s something out of character from them, pause. Contact the sender and confirm that it was indeed legitimate. Don’t simply REPLY to the message since that would go back to the bad guy. Create a new message using their known address.

Trash Junk Mail
If it looks like spam, simply delete it.

Please visit these regularly updated pages for the latest on coronavirus in your area:

Illinois Coronavirus Information

Indiana Coronavirus information

Kentucky Coronavirus Information

Tennessee Coronavirus Information

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Coronavirus Information

For 186 years, our team has helped customers weather every storm, so your money is safe, secure and insured. We are well capitalized and ready to make new loans and provide you money when you need it. We have a 5-star rating for strength and soundness and were named “One of America’s Best Banks” by Forbes Magazine. In addition, your money is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) up to at least $250,000 and some of you may qualify for more coverage. Click this link if you want more details.

Our staff is here to help, and the social distancing approach is only temporary until we all get through these challenging times. If you need assistance, email us at info@first-online.com or call us at 800-511-0045.