News

At Community First Bank, protecting your information and your finances is one of our highest priorities. As technology continues to evolve, so do the ways criminals attempt to access sensitive information.

One growing threat is voice cloning, a form of artificial intelligence that can create highly convincing copies of a person’s voice. Because of this technology, simply recognizing a customer’s voice is no longer enough to safely verify someone’s identity over the phone.

What’s changing?

Community First Bank is implementing a new security measure where customers who call the bank will be asked to provide their Security Code before our team can share personal or account information over the phone.

Your Security Code is a unique word or phrase established when your account is opened. Think of it as an additional layer of protection—similar to a password—that helps us confirm we’re speaking with you before discussing sensitive information.

Please remember to:

• Keep your Security Code private and never share it with others.
• Have your Security Code ready when you call the bank.
• Visit one of our branches if you do not have a Security Code yet.
• Contact Community First Bank if you believe your Security Code has been shared or compromised.

Why are we making this change?

Phone banking remains an important way for many of our customers to connect with us. We know that busy schedules and everyday life don't always make it convenient to visit a branch during regular banking hours. This change allows us to continue providing the convenience of phone banking while adding stronger safeguards to help protect your information.

Artificial intelligence and voice-cloning technology are making it increasingly difficult to rely on voice recognition alone. According to the American Bankers Association, voice fraud attempts against customers increased dramatically in 2024, occurring nearly 20 times more frequently than the previous year. That increase continued in 2025, with cases rising another 30%.

The FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report also highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence in fraud. For the first time in the report's more than 20-year history, the FBI included a dedicated section on AI, reporting 22,364 complaints related to AI fraud and nearly $893 million in reported losses across the United States.

How can you help protect yourself?

You can take a few simple steps to make it harder for scammers to use your information:

• Be cautious when answering unexpected calls from unknown numbers.
• Be mindful of the personal information and audio you share publicly online.
• Review your privacy settings on social media and other online platforms.
• Never share your Security Code with someone who asks for it unexpectedly.

Criminals can collect audio from phone calls, social media, videos and other publicly available sources to create convincing voice imitations. Staying aware of what you share—and who you share it with—can help reduce your risk.

We're evolving our security to protect you

Fraud tactics won't stay the same, and neither will we. Community First Bank regularly reviews and updates our security procedures to help keep your information and accounts protected.

We understand how important convenient, personal service is to our customers. Requiring a Security Code is one more way we're working to keep phone banking convenient and secure.

If you have questions about your Security Code or the new phone verification process, please contact Community First Bank or visit your local branch.

Your security matters to us. And as technology changes, we're committed to changing with it.