Just Wiggle It - Fraud Prevention

Fraud takes place every day in a variety of ways. You can’t always prevent it from happening, but you can make it tougher for someone to get hold of your cards and card numbers. The more hurdles you create between fraudsters and your funds, the better. Below is some information to help you better understand debit card fraud and tips on how to lower your chances of it happening to you.

1. When you choose to pay at the pump at a gas station, try to use the pumps closest to the front of the gas station. This usually has more visibility for the cashier inside or for a bystander to have seen a skimmer being placed on the pump.
2. Before you put your card into the card reader, take a moment and wiggle the card reader. Is it loose or feel funny? Take a look at the pump, does anything look out of place or suspicious? Has the inspection sticker been tampered with? Wiggle the number pad, is it loose? If you notice anything that doesn’t seem right, alert the gas station attendant right away.
3. If you pay inside, before you run your card, wiggle the card reader. Make sure the plastic on the top isn’t loose.
4. Always have a backup method of payment with you. When Shazam notices that the transactions that are coming through your card do not look right, or look like fraud, they will temporarily shut off your card while they attempt to reach you. If you happen to be in the middle of a large purchase at Walmart, you want to be able to complete your purchase. This can be especially beneficial if you do not answer calls from numbers that you do not recognize or if you haven’t updated your phone number with C1st.
5. Always update your contact information with C1st. We update the information in Shazam and that helps them reach you in case your card has been compromised.
6. Shazam will never ask you for your debit card number. If you get a call from someone stating they are from Shazam or C1st and you don’t feel comfortable that they are who they say they are – let them know that you are hanging up and you will be calling back in. Community 1st Credit Union’s number is 1.866.360.5370 and the Shazam number can be found on the back of your debit card.
7. If you choose to online shop, please remember that scammers may try to try and trick you out of giving up your username and password for your accounts. If you receive an email from an online retailer asking you to change your password – go to the site itself to change your password instead of clicking on the link in the email. Often these scam emails can look exactly like the real thing.

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