SMS Text Messaging
How We’re Using Personalized Texts to Help You Prosper
First Merchants is relaunching our personalized SMS text messages!
Our personalized texts are secure and provide links to timely financial wellness articles, the latest information on current scams, and a detailed look at money management tools in your app to help you on your financial path. And, if you want to learn how to optimize our financial solutions to your benefit, you can opt-in to bank product updates.
These texts will always come from the number 77972 – one of our secure, verified numbers – and will contain a secure link to your personalized resources.
While we encourage you to be wary of suspicious texts, messages from 77972 are private, verifiable, and cannot be spoofed, so you can feel secure clicking that link and accessing the latest information. Additionally, texts we send from 77972 will contain a short reference code you can confirm with your banker or a customer care representative if you’re unsure.
How can you spot a suspicious text compared to our secure mobile messages?
- The text does not come from 77972 or one of our other verified numbers.
- The text requests personal account information such as usernames, passwords, PINs, or full social security numbers.
- The text comes from an unusually long number (we use 5-6 digit short codes for safety).
- The text has misspelled words or incorrect grammar.
Why do we send texts?
- Text Messages are the fastest and easiest way to help you stay on top of the most relevant, timely, and important communications about your account and our bank.
- It saves you time. Direct access to our financial wellness and money management information via a text link means you’ll spend less time scrolling our website or waiting on hold.
- You won’t need to dig through your e-mail. Just save the number 77972 as First Merchants Bank, and all that information is available in a single, simple place.
How to Opt-In
If you want to receive a personalized feed full of the latest information to help you prosper, you can sign up here. We promise we won’t double-text, overload your phone notifications, or spam message you.
You can expect to receive one or two texts a month covering topics pertinent to you, which will help you grow and prosper.
How to Opt-Out
If you’re receiving these messages but want to opt-out, you can do that by replying “STOP” to the latest text message from First Merchants.
I accidentally clicked a link in a text not from First Merchants. What do I do?
If you received a text message that did not come from 77972 or another one of our verified short codes and accidentally clicked the link, don’t panic. There are steps you can take to prevent fraud.
If this happens to you:
- Immediately change your password on the compromised account.
- Consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze on your credit history.
- Consider turning on account alerts or debit card controls via online or mobile banking.
- Closely examine your bank statements moving forward.
- Call 1.800.205.3464 and inform us so that we know to watch for suspicious activity.
- Visit our Security Center for more actionable steps.
If you’d like to confirm if a text came from us, you are welcome to contact our attentive customer care team at 1.800.205.3464 – or just look for the number 77972 and dive into easy access to the latest financial news and tips.
