New Teller System Helps Protect the Elderly

A large percentage of the client base of Farmers Bank is elderly-a segment of the population that is particularly susceptible to identity theft, check kiting and other types of fraud. To help protect its older customers, the Windsor, Va.-based bank has installed a teller automation system with special security and fraud detection features from National Source One (NSO).

"We were looking for a platform that would not just record transactions, but would help us gather information about our customers and provide fraud protection," said Constance Hassell, vice president of operations, compliance and securities at Farmers Bank.

National Source One's teller platform accomplishes this task with features such as Point of Contact, an alert function that allows bank personnel to tag an account in which suspicious or unusual activity has been detected. "The alert is attached to the account wherever it goes throughout the bank," said Mark Kramer, sales manager at Kansas City, Mo.-based NSO. "If that account number is indexed into our system then that message comes up immediately and the teller is alerted before the transaction is even begun."

The platform also includes a customer verification feature that allows the bank to electronically store photos and signatures. The teller can access this information when a customer ID is uncertain.

The NSO teller system was easy to install and use, according to Hassell. "We had no teller platform at all, so we went from using a teller stamp and an adding machine to state of the art equipment. It was very user friendly."