When you notice suspicious activity or unauthorized transactions in your bank account, it's crucial to act quickly.
Reporting fraudulent transactions to your financial institution helps protect your funds and prevent further issues. Below you’ll find information to help you identify the type of fraud you’re dealing with, and information on how to get assistance from Austin FCU.
Whether it's a stolen card, unauthorized charges, or identity theft, knowing how to report fraud can make a significant difference in resolving the issue promptly.
Types of Fraud
Debit Card, Credit Card or ATM Transactions
Debit card, credit card or ATM transactions appear on your account as “POS” or “ATM” transactions.
If you see a transaction on your account that you do not recognize at all, you may have been a victim of fraud. In order to limit your liability it’s important that you report your card as compromised as soon as possible. You can do this by calling our branch during business hours, or by dialing 888-241-2510. Then you can initiate the fraud claim process by filling out this web form. An Austin FCU representative will be in touch with you with forms that require a signature to complete the fraud claim process. If you'd prefer to submit the form directly, you can print the Fraud Dispute Form here, and submit a scanned copy of the form with your signature to [email protected] or via fax or mail to the branch (no digital signatures).
If you see a transaction that you recognize but something about it isn’t right, this may not be fraud. The first step in this situation will be to reach out to the merchant and try to resolve the difference with them. If you need assistance with obtaining contact information for the merchant, please let us know.
If you reach out to the merchant and they are not able to help resolve the issue, review the Non-Fraud Dispute Form here to determine which type of dispute you’ll need to submit and gather the appropriate documentation for the dispute. You’ll need to submit a copy of this form along with the required documentation to Austin FCU. You can submit a scanned copy of this form with your signature to [email protected] or via fax or mail to the branch (no digital signatures).
Automated Clearing House (ACH) Transactions
These transactions use your routing and account number to debit funds from or credit funds to your account. These transactions can clear your account in multiple ways, but the most common are “ACH”, “WEB”, “TEL” or “POP”.
If you would like to dispute an ACH you will need to fill out a Written Statement of Unauthorized Debit. You’ll need to submit a copy of this form along with the required documentation to Austin FCU. You can submit a scanned copy of this form with your signature to [email protected] or via fax or mail to the branch (no digital signatures).
Draft or Check Transactions
These transactions clear your account as “DRAFT XXXX”, and you can typically view an image of the draft within online banking.
If a check has cleared your account that you did not write, call us at 512-444-6419 option 6 so that we can assist you. Depending on the situation, we may require you to complete an Affidavit of Stolen or Altered Check.
If you have lost a check or had a check stolen, you will want to place a Stop Payment on these items. You can do this via Online Banking, by contacting us at 512-444-6419 or by completing the Stop Payment Form and submitting to us at [email protected].
Identity Theft
If you have been a victim of identity theft, it’s a good idea to contact the credit union to have your account notated. We can help you with things like setting a telephone password for your account, resetting online banking logins and verifying that no information on file with Austin FCU has been changed as a result of the identity theft.
You can also view our page on Freezing Your Credit to help protect yourself from having fraudulent accounts opened in your name.
How to Protect Yourself from Fraud or Identity Theft
Login to Online Banking
Regularly monitoring your account activity and setting up transaction alerts can help you to quickly spot unauthorized charges. Remember, keep your password secret, avoid public WiFi when accessing your account, and keep your contact information up to date so two-factor authentication can be completed when you login.
Click here for more info on Austin FCU's Online Banking
Utilize the CardNav App
CardNav adds another level of security to your cards by letting you decide how and when they can be used, and alerting you when any types of transactions you specify take place.
Click here for more info on the CardNav App or below to download from the App or Google Play stores.
Freeze your Credit Reports
Worried about identity theft or fraud? Freezing your credit reports is an effective way to prevent unauthorized access.
Click here to view more info on how to safeguard your Credit and Chexsystems reports
Set a Telephone Account Password
Setting a telephone account password adds an extra layer of security to your account, protecting your personal and financial information from unauthorized access. Austin FCU reps make every effort to verify the identity of callers, but an account password can help prevent someone who knows basic information about you or your accounts from impersonating you to gain access to your account or request changes. By setting a password, you ensure that only those with the correct credentials can make inquiries or modifications.
Contact us at 512-444-6419 for more info on setting up a Telephone Account Password
Respond to FALCON Fraud Alerts
We utilize a service called FALCON to monitor member transactions for fraud. Each time you swipe your card, your transaction is assigned a fraud score based on amount, location, type of terminal, and many other factors. If that score is high enough, you will receive a call or text from our Fraud Department asking you to verify the transaction. In special cases, if the fraud score on a transaction is high enough, your card may be shut down immediately.
If your card has been restricted after-hours, please contact the Fraud Department directly to resolve the case at 888-241-2440. Unfortunately, if your card has fraud on it, we are unable to re-activate the card and will need to order you a new one. Please note FALCON will score transactions high if they are outside your geographical area, see Travel Notice for more info.
In order to receive Text Alerts Austin FCU must have your cell phone number on file. Log into No-line Banking in order to update your contact information.
Having fraud or finding out you’ve had identity theft is a scary feeling that we hope you don’t have to experience very often. The MSRs here at Austin FCU are experienced in dealing with these situations, and we are here to help you navigate the process of getting your money back or protecting yourself. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns at [email protected] or visit our Contact Us page to find other ways to reach out.
