Banking Glitch Zeroes Out NH Online Accounts By Mistake: Update

CONCORD, NH — Customers of a local savings bank are breathing a sigh of relief after discovering an online banking glitch temporarily zeroed out their accounts — not hackers or something more nefarious on Sunday.

Merrimack County Savings Bank was hit with a glitch that showed $0 bank balances for customers using both the company’s mobile app and online banking system. The glitch was first reported around 7:30 a.m. by a Concord NH Patch reader. It was confirmed later by other customers as well as a bank staffer. Some customers also received "low balance" alerts via email and text from the bank while others are reported negative balances, customers told Patch.

Around 9:30 a.m., the bank posted a notice telling customers the website was undergoing maintenance. It also told customers online the debit cards would still work — the issue was only with reported balances. Normally, when maintenance is performed on the company’s online banking system, customers are given extensive notice that the site will be down. The late notice and the zeroed-out accounts caused concern among customers.

“Thinking it’s a glitch on the app because an ATM balance confirmation show correct balances,” reader J Fye wrote online. “Of course, it’s Sunday morning and there is no tech support or notifications on their website.”

Diana Johnson, the vice president, marketing officer for the bank, said the incorrect balances were displaying on accounts due to “a glitch in the reporting system” which “did not affect actual account balances” for customers.

“We apologize for any inconvenience that this has caused,” she said, adding the company was “sorry” that everyone “woke up to something that appeared so alarming.”

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