Debit Card Fraud & Identity Theft

Debit Card Fraud

What to Do in Case of Fraud

If your card is lost or stolen, or you suspect you're a victim of fraud or identity theft, call Oklahoma Central immediately at 918-664-6000 so we can put an immediate hold on your account. If your card is lost or stolen outside of regular business hours, call Transfund at 888-263-3370. Transfund will put a hold on your card and notify Oklahoma Central on the next business day.

Before You Travel

If you plan to travel internationally or domestically, please call 918-664-6000 to let us know. This allows you to use your Oklahoma Central debit card when our fraud monitoring would normally question any purchases you make. Please be sure to provide the location and dates of your travel, including stopovers if you'll have connecting flights.

Protect Your Personal Data

Debit card fraud involves the unauthorized use of another person's card information to make purchases from their account or access their funds.

Card fraud occurs through a variety of channels, including online scams, data breaches, and card or mail theft. Know how to defend yourself and rest assured Oklahoma Central is continually monitoring for threats and suspicious activity. Luckily, there are a number of things you can do to protect yourself:

Be Careful with Your Card Information

• Record your card and account numbers along with expiration dates in a safe place at home. Include the phone number for each card company so you can report fraud and minimize damage quickly.
• Carry only the cards you need so there is less for a potential thief to take and fewer cards you'll have to freeze if your wallet is lost or stolen.
• Shred documents containing personal information before throwing them away.
• Never give your account number to anyone on the phone unless you initiated the call to a company you know to be reputable.

Use Your Card Wisely

• Never sign a receipt leaving lines, such as the total, blank. The information on a blank receipt may be changed after you've already signed it. Drawing a line through any blank spaces may help.
• Watch your card during a transaction and make sure you get it back.
• Look for irregularities with an ATM before using it, especially with the card slot. If it looks odd, it may be a skimmer used to capture your credit card information. If you notice it after you've inserted your card, alert the card issuer.
• Be cautious when using your cards online. Only enter information on websites you're 100 percent sure are legitimate or use a third-party site when you can.

What We're Doing for You

Using state-of-the-art fraud prevention systems, our dedicated staff monitors your accounts for fraud and unusual activity and will notify you of any suspicious activity. We follow strict safeguards when mailing out cards and statements, and verify your identity whenever calling in. To be certain that we reach you quickly, please make sure we have your updated contact information. In addition, our Zero Liability policy ensures that you won't be responsible for false charges to your account.

Identity Theft

As fraud and identity theft become more prevalent, the need to become proactive in protecting your good name has never been more important. The types of fraud and crimes continue to grow in sophistication and scope, making your personal data vulnerable to identity theft, fraud and other attacks.

Identity Theft can happen in various ways:

• After someone steals your purse or wallet.
• By stealing personnel records from employers.
• By thieves rummaging through your trash at home or work looking for bills or other documents with personal information.
• By third parties pretending to be a financial institution or business and sending spam email (phishing) or pop-up messages in an attempt to get you to share personal information.

Learn how to reduce your risk of identity theft.

Protect yourself: 

• Check your bank account and credit card statements regularly.
• Review your credit report every year.
  • As a member of Oklahoma Central, you can do this for free by calling 877-337-3399. The experts at Greenpath Financial Capability, our financial counseling partner, will review your credit report with you.
  • By law, you can obtain one free credit report per year from each of the three credit bureaus—Equifax, TransUnion and Experian—by visiting annualcreditreport.com. While the credit report is free, getting your score will cost a nominal fee.
• Shred personal and financial documents. Oklahoma Central offers a free shred day to members every year in the fall. To find out when the next one is, email Marketing@OklahomaCentral.org.
• Sign up for eDocument services (estatements and enotices) in your online banking account. Not only does it protect your monthly statement, it also cuts down on paper and postage expenses.
• Safeguard your information. Don’t leave a paper trail. Don’t have your social security card in your purse or wallet. Know with whom you are speaking with before providing any confidential information.
• Opt out of pre-approved credit card offers by visiting optoutprescreen.com or calling 1-888-567-8688.
• Remove yourself from promotional lists by writing to BOTH of the following companies:
  • Direct Marketing Association, Mail Preference Service, PO BOX 9008, Farmingdale, NY, 11735.
  • Direct Marketing Association, Phone Preference Service, PO BOX 9008, Farmingdale, NY, 11735.
• Be alert for warning signs:
  • Denials of credit for no apparent reason.
  • Account statements or credit cards in the mail that you weren’t expecting.
  • Calls or letters concerning purchases you didn’t make.

If you think your identity has been compromised:

• Report it. Visit identitytheft.gov and complete the FTC Identity Theft Affidavit. The site will create an action plan for you to follow with specific steps for different types of theft.
• File a police report. Then, get a copy of the police report or at the very least the number of the report. It can help you deal with creditors who need proof of the crime. Learn more about filing a report with Tulsa Police Department.
• Notify your credit union or bank. If your accounts have been compromised, you’ll want to close the ones you know, or believe, have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Oklahoma Central’s contact number is 918-664-6000, select option 8.
• Place a fraud alert on your credit report. This is free for 90 days with each of the three bureaus when identity theft occurs. Contact all three credit bureaus:
  • Experian: 1-888-397-3742
  • Equifax: 1-800-685-1111
  • TransUnion: 1-800-888-4213
• Contact the companies where you know the fraud occurred. Freeze accounts and change your passwords.

Take charge and protect yourself with this guide from the Federal Trade Commission.

Please Note: For your personal security, when contacting us via the email box above, do not include any confidential information, such as your account number, social security number, PIN, password, etc. A secure, encrypted email box is available only through online banking. If you need assistance that requires personal information to be shared, please call 918-664-6000 to speak directly to a representative. Also, always be aware of phishing scams using fictitious emails that appear to be from the credit union, asking for your personal information or advising you to click on a link that takes you to another Website. Oklahoma Central will never request such information via an unsecured email.