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I think I’m a victim of fraud, what do I do?

Experiencing any type of fraud is difficult to deal with. We want to provide you with a list of ways to first respond to your suspicion. This is a comprehensive list of the most common instances of fraud; however, if you have another case, please call us at 800-232-3642.

Debit Card Fraud

Regardless of if your card was lost, stolen, or you noticed unauthorized transactions; your first step should be to deactivate the card. Use these contacts depending on your situation:

Has your card been lost or stolen?

Contact 844-698-7052 to report a missing card.

Have you noticed an unauthorized transaction on your account?

Contact 844-698-7053 to start the dispute process. You can also manage your Centra debit or credit cards right in your digital banking with Card Managment, such as blocking and unblocking your card.

Fraud Alert texts

Fraud alert texts come from the number 37268.

Check Fraud

Has someone stolen your checks, and you don’t know who it is? Contact us or visit a Centra location.

Do you know who stole your checks? File a police report, then contact us or visit a Centra location and provide a copy of the police report.

Our branch Team Members can assist stopping the stolen or lost checks by check number. They can also add a password that would be required before any transactions can be completed on your account.

Identity Theft

If you believe someone is using your identity to make purchases, apply for loans, or commit fraud:

  • Visit www.identitytheft.gov/Steps for a detailed list of what to do right away.
  • If any of your Centra accounts are involved, contact us or visit a Centra location immediately.
  • File a police report and complete an ID Theft Complaint Form to initiate the investigation.
  • We can add an alert to your account to let Centra Team Members know that you are a victim of identity theft and to use precaution.
  • You can also add a password to be required for account changes and transactions.
ACH Fraud

An ACH transaction is an automated transaction either withdraw or deposit that is transferred through an Automated Clearing House. Usually, you can see these types of transactions pending when viewing your checking account on online banking.

If you have an unauthorized ACH transaction, please contact us or visit a Centra location.

Wire Fraud

Wire fraud is a crime in which a person schemes to defraud or obtain money using electronic communications or an interstate communications facility. These can include a phone call, a fax, an email, a text, or social media messaging, among others.

If you believe you are the victim of wire fraud, contact us or visit a Centra location.

Credit Card Fraud

Regardless of if your card was lost, stolen, or you noticed unauthorized transactions; your first step should be to deactivate the card. Use these contacts depending on your situation:

Reporting a lost or stolen credit card

Call 1-800-449-7728

If you believe you’re the victim of credit card fraud, contact us or visit a Centra location to go through a dispute process.

You can also manage your Centra debit or credit cards right in your digital banking with Card Managment, such as blocking and unblocking your card.

Loan Fraud

If you’ve seen a loan on your credit report that isn’t yours or if you know that someone is using your credit to fund a loan, you may be a victim of loan fraud. Please contact us or visit a Centra location to begin the dispute process.

Digital Banking Fraud

If you notice online transfers or payments that you didn’t authorize, change your password and username. If your credentials have been compromised and/or changed, visit a Centra location or contact us immediately to begin the dispute process.

Services we offer to protect and prevent

If you have any questions or need help signing up for any of these services, contact us or visit a Centra location. We’d be happy to help.


 

Personal information to protect

Never give out the following information:

  • Account number
  • Digital banking password and user name
  • Debit and credit card number
  • PIN
  • Any other personal information unless you’re talking to a trusted source. 

I want to protect myself. How do I prevent fraud?

You don’t think about the need for fraud prevention until you’ve been the victim of fraud. Fraud prevention includes simple actions that you can take to help reduce the chance of losing your private information to fraudsters. There are also different ways to monitor and protect your personal information from each type of fraud. All of them involve safeguarding private information such as passwords, account numbers, card numbers, and Social Security numbers.

Debit Card Fraud
  • Review your credit report annually. The Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA) provides you with the ability to receive a free credit report once every 12 months. To learn more, visit www.annualcreditreport.com.
  • Add account alerts so you don’t miss withdrawals from your account.
  • Make sure you receive debit card fraud alerts
  • Manage your Centra debit or credit cards in digital banking with Card Management.
  • Sign up for MasterCard Enhanced ID Theft Protection
  • Shred old credit card paper statements.
  • Always be careful and use caution when sharing personal information online.
Check Fraud

Even though fraud is not 100% preventable you can protect yourself.

  • Review your credit report annually. The Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA) provides you with the ability to receive a free credit report once every 12 months. To learn more, visit www.annualcreditreport.com.
  • Add account alerts so you don’t miss withdrawals from your account.
  • Make sure you receive debit card fraud alerts
  • Manage your Centra debit or credit cards in digital banking with Card Management.
  • Sign up for MasterCard Enhanced ID Theft Protection
  • Shred old credit card paper statements.
  • Always be careful and use caution when sharing personal information online.

Review the source before submitting your personal information. Most fraudulent checks can be caught before they are deposited.

Is your Cashier’s Check, Official Check, Money Order, Travelers Check, United States Treasury Check counterfeit?

For your protection, if any of the following statements are correct, please notify a Centra Team Member immediately. You could be the victim of a scam if:

  • The check is from someone you met online or someone you have been communicating with through e-mail.
  • The check is proceeds for an item you sold on the Internet, such as a car, boat jewelry, etc.
  • The amount of the check is more than the selling price of the item.
  • The check is for payment of a rental property or room for rent.
  • The check is to pay taxes/fees to receive other funds, such as an inheritance or lottery winnings.
  • The check is for payment or commission of employment from a “work at home” position, where you were hired online or over the telephone.
  • You’ve been instructed to return funds through a wire transfer or Western Union as soon as possible.
  • The check is drawn on a business or individual different from the person buying your item or product.
  • You’ve been asked to assist in the distribution of money from another country.
  • You’ve been instructed to keep the transaction a “secret.”
Identity Theft
  • Review your credit report annually. The Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA) provides you with the ability to receive a free credit report once every 12 months. To learn more, visit www.annualcreditreport.com.
  • Add account alerts so you don’t miss withdrawals from your account.
  • Make sure you receive debit card fraud alerts.
  • Manage your Centra debit or credit cards in digital banking with Card Management.
  • Sign up for MasterCard Enhanced ID Theft Protection.
  • Shred old credit card paper statements.
  • Always be careful and use caution when sharing personal information online.
ACH Fraud

An automated transaction, either a withdraw or deposit, is transferred through an Automated Clearing House and is referred to as an ACH transaction. Usually, you can see these types of transactions pending when viewing your checking account in digital banking.

  • Review your credit report annually. The Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA) provides you with the ability to receive a free credit report once every 12 months. To learn more, visit www.annualcreditreport.com.
  • Add account alerts so you don’t miss withdrawals from your account.
  • Make sure you receive debit card fraud alerts
  • Manage your Centra debit or credit cards in digital banking with Card Management.
  • Sign up for MasterCard Enhanced ID Theft Protection
  • Shred old credit card paper statements.
  • Always be careful and use caution when sharing personal information online.
Wire Fraud

Never give out any personal information that could be used to wire currency. If you’re asked to wire currency to someone, you should see if there are other possible ways to transfer the currency. Wires require you to give your account number and routing number. This verifies and authorizes us to allow currency to be taken from your account. Even though fraud is never 100% preventable, you can reduce your risk by following the check fraud questions mentioned above and following the tips:

  • Review your credit report annually. The Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA) provides you with the ability to receive a free credit report once every 12 months. To learn more, visit www.annualcreditreport.com.
  • Add account alerts so you don’t miss withdrawals from your account.
  • Make sure you receive debit card fraud alerts.
  • Manage your Centra debit or credit cards in digital banking with Card Management.
  • Sign up for MasterCard Enhanced ID Theft Protection.
  • Shred old credit card paper statements.
  • Always be careful and use caution when sharing personal information online.
Credit Card Fraud

Fraud is never 100% preventable, but you can reduce your risk of credit card fraud by following these tips:

  • Shred old credit card paper statements.
  • Review your credit report annually. The Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA) provides you with the ability to receive a free credit report once every 12 months. To learn more, visit www.annualcreditreport.com.
  • Add account alerts so you don’t miss withdrawals from your account.
  • Make sure you receive debit card fraud alerts.
  • Manage your Centra debit or credit cards in digital banking with Card Management.
  • Sign up for MasterCard Enhanced ID Theft Protection.
  • Always be careful and use caution when sharing personal information online.
Loan Fraud

Usually, loan fraud is something you find when you check your credit report or when you go to get any kind of line of credit and your credit report is pulled. This can happen if someone you know or someone you don’t know uses your information to co-sign on or obtain a loan. Fraud is never 100% preventable, but you can reduce your risk of loan fraud by following these tips:

  • Review your credit report annually. The Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA) provides you with the ability to receive a free credit report once every 12 months. To learn more, visit www.annualcreditreport.com.
  • Add account alerts so you don’t miss withdrawals from your account.
  • Make sure you receive debit card fraud alerts.
  • Manage your Centra debit or credit cards in digital banking with Card Management.
  • Sign up for MasterCard Enhanced ID Theft Protection.
  • Shred old credit card paper statements.
  • Always be careful and use caution when sharing personal information online.
Digital Banking Fraud

Even though fraud is never 100% preventable, but you can reduce your risk of fraud by following these tips:

  • Create a strong password, change it often, and don’t use the same login and password for multiple sites.
  • Never share your username or password with anyone.
  • Keep your computer and mobile device up to date with the latest operating system and browsers.
  • Use password protection on your computers and mobile devices.
  • Take advantage of enhanced security features on your devices like fingerprint recognition or facial recognition.
  • Set up account alerts to monitor your account activity.
  • Make sure you receive debit card fraud alerts.
  • Manage your Centra debit or credit cards in digital banking with Card Management.

The three major credit bureaus

Financial institutions, loan agencies, and other organizations that pull credit reports to review before opening a line of credit will use one of these three credit bureaus. If you contact each one, you can freeze your credit or block your credit from being pulled to review. This involves receiving a password for each bureau so you can call and unfreeze your credit when you do want to open a line of credit for yourself.

Even though fraud is not 100% preventable, you can:

  • Review your credit report annually. The Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA) provides you with the ability to receive a free credit report once every 12 months. To learn more, visit www.annualcreditreport.com.
  • Add account alerts so you don’t miss withdrawals from your account.
  • Make sure you receive debit card fraud alerts.
  • Sign up for MasterCard Enhanced ID Theft Protection.
  • Shred old credit card paper statements.
  • Always be careful and use caution when sharing personal information online.