Text Message & Call Fraud

We will never send text messages asking for your personal information—including your PIN for debit, credit, or ATM cards. NEVER respond to text messages or phone calls by giving your PIN! Do not return calls from phone numbers listed in a text message. If you receive a text message or phone call alleging that your card is locked, please call our Lost/Stolen number at 1.800.472.3272 to report the associated card number. If you are ever in question about anything, reach out to us directly at 318.212.6100. We encourage you to remain vigilant in combating fraudulent attempts to steal your personal information. Never Give Up Your PIN!

Check Fraud:

Take a look at the questions listed below. Keep them in mind when you receive a check, it could prevent you from falling victim to a scam.

• Is the check from an item you sold on the internet, such as a car, boat, jewelry, etc?
• Is the amount of the check more than the item’s selling price?
• Is the check connected to someone you’ve been communicating with through email?
• Have you been informed that you are the winner of a lottery that you never entered?
• Have you been instructed to wire or send money as soon as possible?

If you can answer ‘Yes’ to any of these questions, you could be involved in a fraud or scam. Please contact us immediately at 318.212.6100!

10 Things You Can Do To Avoid Fraud:

1. Spot Impostors-Scammers often pretend to be someone you trust, like a government official, a family member, a charity, or a company you do business with. Do not send money or give out personal information in response to an unexpected request-whether it comes as a text, a phone call, or an email.

2. Do Online Searches-Type a company or product name into your favorite search engine with words like “review,” “complaint” or “scam.” Or search for a phrase to describes your situation, like “IRS call.” You can also search for phone numbers to see if other people have reported them as scams.

3. Don’t Believe Your Caller ID-Technology makes it easy for scammers to fake caller ID information, so the name and the number you see are not always real. If someone calls asking for money or personal information, hang up. If you think the caller might be telling the truth, call back to a number you know is genuine.

4. Don’t Pay Upfront for a Promise-Someone may ask you to pay in advance for things like debt relief, credit and loan offers, mortgage assistance, or a job. They might even say you’ve won a prize, but first you have to pay taxes or fees. If you do, they will probably take the money and disappear.

5. Consider How You Pay-Credit cards have significant fraud protection built in, but some payment methods do not. Wiring money is risky because it is nearly impossible to get your money back after the transaction has taken place. That’s also true for re-loadable cards and gift cards. Government offices and honest companies will not require you to use these types of payment methods.

6. Talk To Someone-Before you give up your money or personal information, talk to someone you trust. Con artists want you to make decisions in a hurry. They may even threaten you. Slow Down! Check out the story, do an online search, consult an expert, or speak with a friend.

7. Hang Up On Robocalls-If you answer the phone and hear a recorded sales pitch, hang up! Do not press 1 to speak with a representative or to be taken off the list, this may result in more calls.

8. Be Skeptical About Free Trial Offers-Some companies use free trials to sign you up for products and bill you every month until you cancel. Before you agree to a free trial, research the company and read the cancellation policy. Always review your monthly statements for charges you do not recognize.

9. Do Not Deposit a Check & Wire Money Back-By law, financial institutions must make funds from deposited checks available within days, but uncovering a fake check can take weeks. If a check you deposit turns out to be a fake, you are responsible for repaying the credit union or bank.

10. Stay Up To Date-Check Bossier Federal’s social media and website often for updates. The FTC at www.ftc.gov/scams also offers a wealth of resources on fraud and scam awareness.

How to Report Fraud and Next Steps:

If you feel you have been the victim of a scam, or that there has been fraudulent activity in your account you can call 318-212-6100, email lossmitigation@bossierfcu.org, or visit ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

After you have let us know, you can visit IdentityTheft.gov. And for future updates on consumer alerts from the FTC, you can visit FTC Consumer Alerts (govdelivery.com).

Our text alert service allows you to instantly keep tabs on suspicious card activity. If our system detects suspicious activity on your card, you’ll receive a text message with details about the suspected transaction. All you have to do is respond to the text to confirm whether the transaction was authorized or is, in fact, fraud. Save 37268 in your phone as Bossier FCU Fraud Alert so you always know it is us who is reaching out. To verify or up date your mobile number please login to the Bossier Federal Mobile Banking App or Online Banking.

Be sure to never share your online banking credentials, and Bossier Federal will never ask you for your debit card number, PIN, or Social Security Number. If you have a question, you can always reach out to us at 318-212-6100.