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Thursday 3/19 Update: All locations temporarily limiting banking activities to drive-up and appointment only

 

To Our Customers, Associates, Friends and Family,

We know this is a difficult time for many and we’re committed to doing what’s right for you. The health and safety of our customers and employees is our number one priority and we are working together to deliver ways to make sure you can access your financial services and have peace of mind.

Steps we’re taking

Our team is continually monitoring and implementing protective measures to limit the spread of the Coronavirus and we are following all of the procedures recommended by the Center for Disease Control.

To reduce potential exposure, beginning today, Thursday, March 19, 2020, we are temporarily limiting in-person banking to our drive-up windows and ATMs.

We are committed to meeting your banking needs, so if you require a face-to-face meeting or have a previously scheduled meeting, please call your local banking center and we will make arrangements for your visit. 

Available 24 Hours a Day and 7 Days a Week

In the short term, we encourage you to use our online banking and mobile app services. 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.

We recommend that you become a mobile banking customer and if you need help to sign up, please call us.

Apply for loans and credit cards

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.

Safe and sound

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.

 

Sincerely,

Norman L. Lowery

Chairman and CEO

 

 

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

Coronavirus is serious and First Financial Bank shares your concerns regarding its risks to everyone, but especially those with compromised immune systems and other extenuating health factors that make the infection more difficult to fight.

We have made preparations to address the coronavirus outbreak, with the goal of preserving our ability to serve you, while protecting you and our associates at each of our locations.

We are taking the following steps to prepare for, and to mitigate, its spread and continue providing vital services

  • Measures are in place to assist customers experiencing financial hardship related to the Coronavirus outbreak and will be communicated separately;
  • All non-essential business-related travel has been suspended for First Financial Corporation’s associates;
  • We are planning to sustain 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 are being 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.


Banking at First is always available

If a temporary banking center or operations closure is necessary, First Telephone Banking, Online Banking and the Mobile App for Android and iOS can meet most of your basic banking needs.

These tools provide:

  • 24-Hour account access including via TXT for account balance, transaction history and funds transfer
  • Mobile and online bill pay
  • Mobile deposit allows you to deposit checks anytime, anywhere
  • Find your closest FirstPlus ATM, available 24-hours a day
  • The First Financial CardGuard App for Android and iOS provides immediate debit card lock capability

If you have not already enrolled in First Online Banking, enroll now.

Telephone banking is available 24-hours and can be reached at 800-459-1672.

If a visit to an open banking center is needed, you can find hours of operation, street addresses and driving directions on our locations page.

 

We are here to help

If you need immediate account or technical assistance or are temporarily affected financially by this event, contact us online or:

You can also call us toll-free at 800-511-0045

Mon – Fri        8am – 7pm ET

Saturday         9am – 2pm 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

 

Protect yourself from fraud

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.

 

Stay current

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