Credit Unions Step Up Online Presence

Credit Unions in Wisconsin are beefing up their online and mobile banking services to stay competitive. That’s got some concerned about security.CoVantage Credit Union in Antigo has been offering mobile check deposit for about a month now. Spokesman Bob VanAbel says about 500 of the 3,500 checks the bank processes each week are now sent by mobile phone, and the number is increasing. He says technology is changing people’s expectations when it comes to good service, “You know in the old days, that meant a happy face on a teller, and they would process your checks efficiently, but anymore it’s a hassle to get to the branch, and good service is getting that service whenever you need it at any time.”

VanAbel says members want convenience, but for some, mobile banking feels less secure. Experts say the opposite is true. John Leekley is with RemoteDepositCapture.com, a risk management resource company for financial professionals. He works with large banks like Farm Bureau on their mobile apps and says new banking technology, including mobile deposit apps are helping to cut down on bank fraud. He says for the consumer, depositing a check with a cell phone isn’t really any different than depositing it at an ATM, “To date there have been no instances that I have been made aware of, of the checks being intercepted so to speak during transmission or anything like that. It’s extremely secure, and last but not least, if it were intercepted, financial institutions have in place safe guards to prevent that item from being presented more than once.”

The UW Credit Union will offer mobile check deposit starting in the spring of 2013. Wells Fargo, Chase Financial, and Bank of America also offer the service in Wisconsin.