Keeping your identity secure
What should I do if I suspect my information has been compromised?
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Report the incident to police and obtain a police report or reference number
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You may also be asked to report it to the Australian Cyber Security Centre via www.cyber.gov.au or ReportCyber (formerly ACORN), which refers cases to appropriate law enforcement
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Contact People First Bank immediately on 13 11 82
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Report the loss or theft of identity credentials to any organisation that may be affected
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Consider placing a temporary ban or credit freeze on your credit file to prevent new accounts from being opened
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Request a copy of your credit report to determine to determine if any unauthorised credit applications have been made using your stolen details
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Immediately change all passwords on your accounts and close all unauthorised, fraudulent or breached accounts
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If you fail to promptly report any security breaches on your account, you may increase your liability for any unauthorised transactions.
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Time is critical - acting within the first 24-48 hours can reduce your losses and increase recovery chances
Take these steps to help minimise the chances of this happening to you:
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Use strong, unique passwords or pass-phrases and consider using a password manager to store them
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Enable-multifactor authentication (MFA) on banking and other important accounts
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Be cautious of public Wi-Fi when accessing sensitive data - use a VPN if needed
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Be cautious about requests for personal information either over the internet, phone or in person
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Carry as little personal information as possible in case of loss or theft
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Place a padlock on your letterbox to guard against theft
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Carefully dispose of any correspondence that contains personal information, including statements, bills, registration papers and licence renewals
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Secure your computer and mobile devices using security software and strong passwords
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Keep up to date with the latest and common scams by following www.scamwatch.gov.au
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Keep a list of items carried in your wallet to allow you to quickly notify the police or relevant institutions if your wallet is stolen
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If you haven’t received regular or expected mail, check with the post office to make sure that your mail hasn’t been redirected
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Investigate any unsolicited mail including any bills or cards you didn’t ask for
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Limit the amount of personal information you post on social media sites as well as ensuring your privacy settings are maintained. Avoid posting photos of IDs or personal details like your date of birth or address
FAQs
People First Bank will never call or email you to ask for confirmation of your password, PIN or Verification Code.
Be wary of any phone calls of this nature and emails with links from unknown senders, and delete any unsolicited emails immediately, without responding.
In some instances, you may also receive an SMS from +61 489 988 024 or +61 437 126 492. If you are ever unsure if a phone call or email is correct, give us a call on 13 11 82. Please be aware, we will never ask for sensitive information via SMS, such as an access code, Verification Code or Online Banking password.
If you believe your details may have been compromised by a phishing phone call or phishing email, contact us as soon as possible.
Each time you make an online purchase, Visa Secure and eftpos Secure assess the risk level of the transaction – certain activity may seem out of the ordinary, maybe because it’s a high dollar value, or a retailer you’ve never bought with before. If People First Bank is concerned a transaction may be fraudulent, you will be prompted to confirm your identity, and you will be requested to enter some personal details unique to your account with us. This information is used only to verify your identity and is not stored by Visa Secure nor eftpos Secure, nor is it passed to anyone including the online merchant.
If you think your password has been compromised, you should reset your password. You can reset your password via your account login screen. Simply select ‘Forgot password’.
You should reset your password as soon as possible. If you still require assistance, call us on 13 11 82 or visit any branch. For security reasons, our Customer Hub team will do an identity check before releasing your new password.
If your card is lost or stolen in Australia, call our 24/7 Customer hub on 13 11 82 or visit your nearest branch as soon as possible.
If you're overseas, please contact us on +61 8 7078 4200 and visit the Visa website to find the contact details for each country to request a new Visa card be issued to you.
Customers can temporarily lock and unlock their card via Digital Banking:
People First Bank App and Online Banking:
- Navigate to the cards via the homepage.
- From there you can lock or unlock your card via the toggle. A locked card is reflected by a green toggle and the card image will also be updated to reflect this.
- To unlock a card, simply swipe the toggle back to grey. Allow a couple of minutes for the unlock to become effective.
Yes. Each time you finish banking through the People First Bank App, your session with automatically terminate following a period of inactivity. You can also manually logout after each session via your profile page, to exit the system. None of the information accessed through our App will be saved on your mobile phone.
To prevent an unauthorised access, log into Online Banking from another device and remove the lost or stolen phone from your profile. Alternatively, call us immediately on 13 11 82 or visit a branch as soon as possible. For security reasons, our Customer Hub team will do an identity check over the phone. If you visit a branch, you’ll need to present photo identification.
Remember, do not save your Digital Banking password on your mobile phone in case of loss or theft on your mobile phone.
To change your PIN, simply follow these steps:
- Sign in to your People First Bank App
- Tap ‘Cards’
- Tap the card you would like to change the pin for
- Select ‘Change PIN’
- Follow the prompts
You can update your PIN through our People First Bank App or online using Online Banking.
Alternatively, you can change your PIN at any People First Bank ATM.
We are also here to assist with PIN changes at your local branch, or call 13 11 82. To complete this process, you will be asked to provide appropriate ID.
You can reset your password via your account login screen. Simply select ‘Forgot password’. You will still need to have your member number on hand to reset your password.
If you still require assistance, call us on 13 11 82 or visit any branch. For security reasons, our Customer Hub team will do an identity check before releasing your new password. At a branch, you’ll need to present photo identification before a new password is released.
Merchant Category Code (MCC) blocking allows customers to restrict usage of a card based on merchant type (at the individual card level).
This allows our customers to easily manage their spending and security options on their cards.
For example, customers can block liquor purchases (bars, pubs, night clubs and liquor stores), or gambling purchases (online gambling, horse & dog racing and other gambling transactions including the purchase of a lottery ticket).
To update your Merchant blocking in your Digital Banking account:
- Click on 'Card controls'
- From there you can select the merchant type to block, using the toggle.
Additional resources
More information and support in relation to identity theft can be found at the following sites:
Keeping your banking safe
Fraud and scams
Learn about how we protect your banking details and find resources to help avoid scams and fraud.
Card security
Reduce the risk of card fraud with these helpful hints.
Digital Banking security
Find out more about how we keep your information safe, and how you can protect yourself online.
Need some help? We've got you covered.
Get in touch with us and we can help you get the answers you need.
Access forms, brochures, support articles, FAQs and more below.
Log into Digital Banking to send us a secure message by clicking the link below, or by using your People First Bank App.
