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Home > Safe Banking > Business

Step 1 of 4

Recognize

Spot the signs of fraud before they become a problem. Most business fraud looks ordinary. Your employees are the first line of defense.

Start here · 4 min read

Recognizing Fraud Before It Reaches Your Bottom Line

Every business depends on trust. You trust employees to make good decisions. You trust vendors to provide products and services. You trust customers to conduct business honestly. Every day, those relationships help your business move forward.

Read the article

Step 2 of 4

Verify

Don't trust the request. Verify it another way. Verification is a business process, not a suspicion, and it should never depend on urgency.

Start here · 3 min read

Verification Is a Business Process, Not a Suspicion

Successful businesses are built on relationships. You trust your employees to make good decisions. You trust vendors to deliver products and services. You trust customers to do business honestly. Those relationships allow work to move quickly and efficiently every day.

Read the article

Step 3 of 4

Protect

Build layers of security around your accounts. Small improvements, made consistently, add up to a business that's hard to target.

Start here · 4 min read

Building a Business That's Difficult to Victimize

No business is completely immune from fraud or cyber threats. Technology changes. Criminals develop new tactics. Businesses adopt new software, hire new employees, and work with new vendors. As your business evolves, so do the risks it faces.

Read the article

Step 4 of 4

Respond

Take action quickly if something doesn't seem right. A calm, organized response protects your business, your customers, and your employees.

Start here · 3 min read

Responding with Confidence When Something Goes Wrong

No business owner wants to receive a phone call that begins with: “Something isn’t right.” It could be a suspicious payment.

Read the article

Keep this handy

Business Confidence Card

Fraud often depends on urgency, trust, and routine. Before approving a payment, changing account information, opening an attachment, or responding to an unusual request, take a moment to run through these four steps. Slow down, trust your instincts if something feels different, and remember that it's always okay to ask one more question before taking action.

Recognize

  • Ask whether this request was expected.
  • Notice when someone creates urgency or pressure to act immediately.
  • Question any change to payment or account information.
  • Check that the sender's email address matches exactly.
  • Confirm the request follows your normal business process.
  • When in doubt, verify before acting.

Verify

  • Use a trusted phone number, not the contact information provided.
  • Independently verify payment instructions and banking changes.
  • Follow your organization's established approval procedures.
  • Never bypass internal controls because of urgency or pressure.
  • Document important verification steps.
  • Ask questions whenever something seems unusual or unexpected.

Protect

  • Use strong, unique passwords and enable multi-factor authentication.
  • Keep business devices, software, and systems up to date.
  • Review employee access and remove permissions no longer needed.
  • Back up important business information and know how to recover it.
  • Train employees regularly and encourage them to ask questions.
  • Review and improve your security practices every year.

Respond

  • Stay calm and understand the situation before taking action.
  • Secure affected accounts, systems, devices, or payment activity.
  • Notify the appropriate leaders, trusted advisors, and business partners.
  • Document what happened and the actions taken.
  • Communicate honestly with employees and customers when appropriate.
  • Review the incident, identify lessons learned, and strengthen your processes.

Verification is good business. Consistency is more reliable than memory, good processes reduce both fraud and honest mistakes, and protection is built one good habit at a time. If an email, invoice, payment request, or other business communication doesn't seem right, talk to your banker at First Bank of Berne before taking action. We're here to help you protect your business with confidence.

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If something claims to be from First Bank of Berne and you're not sure, contact us before you respond. Call, stop by a branch, or send a secure message. You don't have to figure it out alone.

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