Other Resources
ALL ARTICLES
RESOURCES
This is a fictitious story—but it's based on real events that happen to small businesses every single day.
The owner of a thriving local furniture business had just signed the biggest deal of the year. Everything seemed on track until her bookkeeper received an email from a familiar client with “updated wire instructions.” The message looked legitimate. No red flags. So the payment—nearly $50,000—was sent. Two days later, the real client called to say the deposit never arrived. The money was gone. And so was the illusion that something like this “would never happen to us.”
Within a week, long-time customers started asking tough questions. A supplier tightened payment terms. A local partnership quietly backed out of an event. And worse—people started whispering that the business “might not be secure.”
This is how quickly a single fraud incident can unravel years of hard-earned trust.
Even if you recover the stolen funds or file an insurance claim, the damage to your reputation can last far longer—and cut deeper.
Protecting your business starts with building strong internal controls and using the tools your bank offers:
Surety Bank offers many of these solutions through our Treasury team, and we can help tailor them to your specific operations.
Even with great controls, no system is bulletproof. If fraud strikes, your response will determine how much damage your reputation takes—and how quickly you can recover.
In the first 72 hours:
In the weeks that follow:
This fictitious business was lucky—it survived. But the lesson is clear: fraud isn’t just a financial risk, it’s a reputational one. And once trust is broken, it takes time, strategy, and transparency to win it back.
At Surety Bank, we help businesses of all sizes protect their operations from fraud. Whether you need payment controls, alert systems, or a plan for what to do in a crisis, our Treasury & Fraud Prevention Team is here to help.
Browse by category to find articles and guides on specific topics of interest.
RESOURCES
Surety Bank continually works to provide greater accessibility to all of its products and services. If you have any questions about accessible banking, call us at 1-855-4SURETY
© 2025 Surety Bank
