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Member Protection Center

Knowledge is your best defense against fraud. Our Member Protection Center empowers you with the tools and information you need to recognize scams, protect your accounts, and act quickly if needed.

Been Scammed, Now What

The Latest in Fraud Protection

How to Avoid Contactless Payment and QR Code Scams

Contactless payment and QR codes make everyday purchases quick and convenient, but scammers are finding new ways to take advantage of them. They may ask for donations using tap-to-pay, direct you to fake websites through QR codes, or try to collect personal or financial information. Knowing a few warning signs can help you stay one step ahead.

How to Protect Yourself

Don't Rush

Scammers often count on people making quick decisions. Before you tap or scan, take a moment to check who you’re paying, how much you’re being charged, and that everything looks right.

Make Sure You Know Who You're Paying

If someone asks for a donation or payment on the spot, take a few extra seconds to confirm the organization or cause is legitimate before sending money.

Secure Your Mobile Wallet

Use your phone’s security features so payments can only be made when your phone is unlocked with a passcode, fingerprint, or face ID.

Turn Off Tap-to-Pay When You're Not Using It

If you don’t use contactless payments regularly, consider turning off NFC (Near Field Communication) or tap-to-pay on your devices until you need it.

Inspect QR Codes Carefully

Look for signs of tampering, including stickers placed over existing QR codes or codes posted in unusual locations. Fraudulent QR codes may redirect you to scam websites.

Protect Your Personal Information

Never enter online banking credentials, passwords, or other sensitive information after scanning a QR code unless you’re confident it’s from a trusted source.

Keep an Eye on Your Accounts

Set up real-time transaction alerts on the Centris Debit Card Companion App and receive instant notifications every time your Centris Visa® Debit Card is used. This will allow you to spot unauthorized activity the second it happens.

Think You’ve Been Scammed?

If something doesn’t seem right, contact us right away at 402-334-7000. We’re here to help you review your accounts, take steps to protect your information, and talk through your options. The sooner you reach out, the sooner we can help.  

Fraud Awareness and Education

As your trusted financial partner, our responsibility is to educate members of our community about fraud and identity theft, and how to prevent it. Below is information to help you stay vigilant against fraudsters and scammers.

What are some common scams?

What is phishing, smishing, vishing?

How can I keep minors safe in a digital world?

How can I protect elders?

How do I protect my business?

How can I protect my identity?

A general rule of thumb to follow is if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Here are a few common types of scams to be aware of:

Phishing, smishing, and vishing are types of social engineering attacks designed to entice individuals to share sensitive personal information. The difference is in how individuals are targeted. Always verify the source of messages/calls, be skeptical of unsolicited messages/calls, and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all online accounts.

  • Phishing – fraudulent emails or websites
  • Smishing – fraudulent text messages (SMS)
  • Vishing – fraudulent phone calls

Today’s youth have grown up surrounded by computers, tablets, smartphones, the internet, and social media. Education is key when it comes to helping protect them while they are online. Here are some steps you can take to help ensure their safety:

  • Teach them the importance and responsibility of keeping their login credentials and personal information confidential.
  • Help them set their social media accounts to private.
  • Let them know it’s OK to ignore texts or phone calls from unrecognized numbers and show them how to block these numbers.
  • If they have a Centris Visa® Debit Card, download the Centris Debit Card Companion App to create transaction alerts, set spending limits, lock and unlock their card, and more.

According to the FBI, millions of elderly Americans fall victim to some type of financial fraud or confidence scheme. To help prevent elderly financial abuse, it is important to closely monitor and manage their finances responsibly:

  • Regularly check in with elderly people in your life.
  • Encourage elderly individuals to stay connected with friends, family, and community groups.
  • Screen caregivers, including background checks and references.
  • Regularly review bank statements and financial records for suspicious activity.
  • Report suspected abuse to Adult Protective Services.

 

Staying vigilant is crucial for protecting your company’s financial and operational integrity. Proactive strategies like regular risk assessments can help reduce your organization’s exposure to fraudulent activities. Below is a list of common business scams:

 

Identity theft is a serious cybercrime where unauthorized individuals exploit personal information to conduct fraudulent financial transactions or activities. Identity theft can impact individuals across all demographics and financial backgrounds. Check out our blog article, How to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft, for great tips on how to help prevent identity theft from happening to you or a loved one.

Proactively Prevent Fraud

Centris Federal Credit Union offers many ways to take control of you finances and proactively prevent fraud. Hover over each tile to learn more.

Online Banking Alerts

Debit Card Companion App

Monitor Credit Reports

Click here to download our informational flyer that provides more details on how to stay vigilant against fraudsters.

Steps to Take if You’ve Been Scammed

  1. Change your online banking username and password and don’t share it with anyone.

  2. If you downloaded anything from the scammer, have a professional or reputable antivirus program scan your device for malicious software.

  3. Monitor your credit report and dispute fraudulent charges on your account with your financial institution.

  4. Book an appointment with an expert at your financial institution.

  5. If you are a Centris Visa® Debit Card holder, download the Centris Debit Card Companion App.


How will Centris contact me?

As a friendly reminder, Centris will never contact our members asking you to verify your account number, credit or debit card number, social security number, PIN, Secure Access Codes or online banking username or password. Members should take note of suspicious texts that come from unknown numbers, and that may include unformatted text with possible misspellings. These texts may also include an illegitimate link. Never click a link from an unknown sender. If someone emails, texts or calls you asking for your personal information, hang up and contact Centris immediately at 402-334-7000.

Phone

  • Our Member Protection Team will reach out to a member if they believe there is risk of fraud on an account.
  • We will never call and ask for sensitive personal information.

Secure Access Codes (SAC)

  • SAC may be sent via text or phone call to authenticate your identity when logging into Centris online banking.
    • You should never provide this code to anyone.

Debit Card

  • Visa® Fraud Protection (Debit Card): If the Visa team detects suspicious activity with your debit card, they will contact you via email, phone call, and/or text.
    • Their communication will never include links and will not require your account information, such as PINs or card numbers.

Text Alerts

  • If you’ve enrolled in alerts through Centris mobile banking or the Centris Debit Card Companion App, you may receive text and/or email alerts.
    • For these alerts, we will never ask you to click a link or provide personal information including credentials.
  • If you have a loan with Centris and missed a loan payment, you may get a reminder text regarding the payment from 402-315-2650. This text will include a link to make a payment. If you have any concerns or are unsure if the text is coming from Centris Federal Credit Union, you can find the ‘Make a Payment’ link on our homepage at www.centrisfcu.org.
  • If you apply for a digital loan with Centris you may receive text communications regarding your loan status from 402-697-6665.
Been Scammed, Now What

Credit Card

  • If there is potentially fraudulent activity with your credit card, Elan will call the card holder.
    • They will never ask you for your card’s CVV (three-digit code on the back of the card) or issue/expiration date.

How to Protect Yourself from AI Deepfake Scams

Think that urgent call or video chat is real? Sophisticated AI deepfakes are making scam detection harder than ever. Check out our latest blog post to uncover the red flags of AI fraud and learn how to help keep your finances secure today.

Read More