Astra Bank is excited to announce an added layer of convenience and protection against fraudulent or suspicious activity on your debit card, beginning May 20th. With text alerts you can be notified anytime and anywhere about possible fraudulent activity.

These alerts are designed for your convenience. Review the transaction and simply respond, through text, whether or not it is fraudulent.

Here are the Details

Your debit card is a convenient way for you to have access to your funds at any time. However, that convenience comes with an added risk of someone using your card information to make fraudulent purchases.

Your debit card is constantly monitored for suspicious activity. With these new text alerts, any time a suspicious transaction occurs, you will receive a text notification describing the transaction and asking whether or not it is fraudulent.

Here’s how it works:

1. Our fraud monitoring system flags a transaction as suspicious and possibly fraudulent.
2. You will receive a text from Astra Bank stating which card it is, the amount that was charged, and where it was charged.
3. The text will ask if the transaction is valid.
4. If it is a valid transaction, simply respond “Yes” and the system will flag it as legitimate. That’s it. You are done and can continue on your day.
5. If you don’t recognize the transaction and believe it to be fraudulent, respond “No”. A follow up text will be sent with a number to call and a block will be placed on your card.

What’s Changing?

Astra Bank already monitors and contacts you by phone when suspicious transactions appear on your card. Taking a call, however, sometimes isn’t the most convenient option. You will now receive this initial text alert before any phone call, allowing you to take care of the matter discreetly and conveniently.

How Can You Get Started?

If we already have your correct mobile phone number on file, then you will begin to receive these text alerts automatically. There is no need to do anything.

If you need to update your phone number, please contact your local Astra Bank branch and have them make the change so you can begin to receive these convenient alerts. Having these texts available means you’ll be alerted when something fishy is charged to your card.

Want to Have More Control Over Your Debit Card?

Astra Bank already offers customizable fraud protection on our Mobile App! Using the App you can turn a card on or off (in case you lose it at a restaurant), set a spending limit on a card (useful for keeping family spending in check), or even set a distance radius the card can be used in!

Learn more about it here.

We are committed to giving you a full range of options to protect your hard-earned funds. Call or come in and speak with an Astra Bank representative about any questions or concerns you may have.