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Security Center

Citizens Bank is committed to providing a secure banking environment for our clients. If you ever feel that your account information has been compromised or you have been subject to fraudulent activity, alert us immediately at 800-676-6276.

Online Security Measures Provided By Citizens Bank

We at Citizens Bank realize the importance of sharing security information and tips with you.  Please read through the information below which outlines what we offer for security measures as well as things you can do to increase the effectiveness of these security measures to prevent fraudulent activities.

Data Encryption

128-bit SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption provides one of the highest levels of security possible for protecting confidential transactions over the internet. The encryption process converts sensitive information into an unrecognizable string of characters to help prevent theft of confidential information.

Multi-Factor Authentication

Citizens Bank Online Banking deploys several different methods to authenticate your identity when logging in to your account:

  • Client created User IDs and Passwords
  • Custom security questions with answers only you would know
  • Custom image display and secret word for the image

Please see your account agreements and disclosures for additional information on how these authentication processes work.

Online Banking Security Software

Citizens Bank has partnered with Trusteer, a respected online banking security software company, that will allow you to add an additional layer of security to your online banking transactions and activities:

Limits On Transfers And Bill Payments

Another way we at Citizens Bank can help prevent fraudulent activities and provide for a more secure banking environment is to place limits on transfers and bill payments.

  • Citizens Bank, by regulation, will limit the number of pre-authorized transfers and electronic fund transfers from any account other than a checking account.
  • Savings and money marketing accounts have limits on the number of transfers or withdrawals per month or statement cycle.
  • Limits on the number and dollar amount of transfers you can make using internal and external transfers and the Bill Payment service.

Online Banking Alerts

There are two different types of alerts provided within Online Banking.  There are automatic security alerts as well as alerts that you can customize. These alerts will help you determine if suspicious activity has occurred. If you notice anything that does not seem right, notify us immediately at 888-493-5142. 

One Time Security Codes

As an added level of security for transactions that have a higher risk of fraud we may initiate these added measures:

  • You may be asked to enter a specific code online or over a phone or mobile device that is on record with Citizens Bank.

Funds Transfer Stop/Delay

Citizens Bank may decline to process, or delay processing of, or further delay the availability of funds from any transaction at any time if we, in our sole discretion, have reason to believe that the transfer may be unauthorized or otherwise improper or inappropriate.  In the event this takes place, you will be notified via the Message Center in Online Banking or an email if you have previously established alerts for failed transactions.

Online Statements & eBills

Online statements offer improved security over receiving paper statements in the mail as it is more difficult for a criminal to access your online banking account than it would be for them to obtain access to your mail.  Using online statements is one additional area where you can help to reduce the risk of fraudulent activity. 

Using eBills has similar advantages to online statements.  For specific payees within online banking you have the ability to get your bill sent to you electronically through Citizens Bank's Bill Pay service.  This not only prevents a bill with personal information being sent in the mail, it also eliminates the need to send a check through the mail.

Both of these electronic services offer a level of security that is considered safer than using traditional mail service.

Online Banking Enrollment

When you contact Citizens Bank to enroll in online banking, we have a process in place to validate your identity with existing bank records.  This validation process helps to prevent unauthorized individuals from posing as you to set up online banking.

Email Communications

Citizens Bank will never ask you to provide account or other personal identification information via an unsolicited email communication.  If you receive an unsolicited email from someone claiming to be from Citizens Bank asking for account information or personal identification information, please alert us at 888-493-5142.

From time to time you may receive emails from Citizens Bank promoting products or services, bank announcements, or changes to your account(s). For your convenience, we will provide a general toll-free number at the bank for you to contact should you have any questions.  This number should always be the same as the customer service number provided on your statement. We also encourage you to talk with a Citizens Banker at your local branch if you have any questions.

Sharing Information

It is important to keep your log in credentials and other personal information as secure and private as possible.  You should never share your User IDs, passwords or other personal information with anyone that you do not want to have full access to your online banking or other items that require specialized personal information.  As a good practice, avoid sharing the following types of information:

  • Account or credit card numbers
  • User IDs, Passwords or PINs
  • Social Security Number
  • Mother's Maiden Name
  • Other private information

Be Aware Of Phishing Scams

Scammers have become very sophisticated in their attempts to obtain your personal and account information. One such scam know as "Phishing" sends the victim an email claiming to be from a reputable financial institution. The message in the email directs the victim to click on a link that redirects them to a false web page that looks like a legitimate bank web page. Once the scammer has lured the victim to the fraudulent site they are able to capture account numbers, social security numbers, and other personal identification information that will help them commit fraud.

Another Phishing scheme attempts to convince the client they need special security software to provide encryption, SSL Certificates or some other software protection against unauthorized access to your online banking account. Actually, the criminals are trying to download malicious software to your computer to capture keystrokes, IDs, passwords, and other confidential information. DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK OR APPROVE THE DOWNLOAD. DELETE THE EMAIL.