Commercial bank account fraud is on the rise and one local bank officer encouraged Kingfisher County commissioners to help prevent it.

“We’re seeing a huge increase,” said Vicki Rother, a vice president at BancFirst in Kingfisher, when she addressed the commissioners Monday during their weekly meeting.

“It’s gotten out of control and we’ve got a product that will help deter it.”

Rother said there are variances in how and how soon charges must be challenged when dealing with individuals and businesses, including entities such as Kingfisher County.

Some businesses, she said, have experienced losses due to fraud because they didn’t monitor their accounts often enough.

“It’s critical our businesses are checking their accounts everyday,” she said.

Rother said BancFirst’s product is a five-step verification system to help ensure debits from accounts are legitimate.

Kingfisher County Treasurer Robin Rother confirmed the county has multiple accounts at BancFirst.

Added Vicki Rother: “I really think this (fraud) is a threat and I would like to get you protected.”

The item on the agenda regarding Rother’s address wasn’t an action item, so the commission’s ability to act was limited. “Thank you for bring

“Thank you for bringing this to our attention,” Chairman Heath Dobrovolny said. “I think it’s something we should talk about more and get on a future agenda.”