Q. How does the service work?

Credit Union of Southern California (CU SoCal) continually monitors our Members' debit cards for fraudulent activity. Our fraud text alert service provides Members another level of security. If our fraud monitoring service detects a suspicious transaction on your account, we will alert you by SMS/text message of the transaction. You will reply "Yes" to confirm the transaction is valid or "No" to block the transaction if it is not authorized by you. If you respond "Yes," you may continue to use your card as usual. If you respond "No," the transaction will be blocked and a fraud prevention specialist will call you between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. to further review the suspicious activity.
 

Q. How do I enroll in text fraud alerts?

If you have provided CU SoCal with your mobile phone number and have an active CU SoCal Debit Card, you are automatically enrolled effective November 5, 2019. 
 

Q. Will I be charged for this service?

No. Our fraud text service is free. You may receive and reply to fraud text alerts without incurring any charges, including from your wireless carrier. 
 

Q. Will my wireless carrier charge me a fee for these text alerts?

No. Wireless carrier text fees do not apply with this service. 
 

Q. Is this service available with my wireless carrier?

CU SoCal's fraud text alert is available with all carriers that provide text message (SMS) services. 
 

Q. How long does it take to receive a text message (SMS) about an unusual or suspicious transaction?

Alerts will generally arrive within one minute from an activity detected; however, timing may vary.
 

Q. How often will I receive text messages (SMS)?

Messaging frequency depends on account activity. Messages may be sent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
 

 Q. What if I don’t respond to the text message?

If we don’t receive a response after five minutes, a fraud specialist will attempt to call you to verify the unusual or suspicious transaction.
 

Q. What if I do not have text messaging? 

Text messaging is required for this service; however, if you do not have text messaging, you will receive fraud alerts by phone call.
 

Q. If I am traveling outside of the U.S., can I receive text message alerts? 

The ability to receive alerts outside of the U.S. will depend on your cell phone carrier. Please notify us if you will be traveling to set up a travel strategy. 
 

Q. Are the text commands case-sensitive?

No. Commands can be sent as upper case, lower case, or a combination of both.
 

Q. Can I add multiple phone numbers to receive text messages?

Unfortunately, no. Just one mobile phone number may be linked to a single card number. 
 

Q. If my mobile phone number changes, what do I need to do? 

To receive alerts to your new number, please call us toll-free at 866 CU SoCal (866.287.6225), Monday-Friday: 9 a.m.-6 p.m., and Saturday: 9 a.m.-1 p.m., to update your contact information. 
 

Q. Can I opt out of receiving fraud alert messages by text?

Yes. If you receive a fraud alert by text, please first confirm if the transaction was authorized. Then, simply respond "Stop" to the text message. Please keep in mind that fraud text alerts are a great way to receive notification in real time when there is a suspicious transaction on your card. This allows you to take immediate action to help protect your account.
 

Q. Can I receive debit card fraud alerts via email too?

Not at this time; however, we will soon offer Members an email option.
 

Q. Is this service safe and secure? 

Yes. CU SoCal will NEVER send you a message asking for your personal or account information. If you receive a message asking for this type of information, contact us immediately and do not respond to the message.
 

Q. What information will a fraud text alert have? 

Below is a summary of items included on a valid fraud text message as well as what will not be included.

Text will include:

• Credit union name

• Last four digits of your card number

• The amount in question

• The merchant's name

• Reply options: Yes, No, or Stop (to opt out)

Text will NOT include:

• Requests for information including card numbers, PINs, CV2 codes, expiration dates

• Vague reference of "merchant"

• Hyperlinks to unknown websites

• Phone numbers as hyperlinks

Q. What other steps should I take to protect my account?

1. Be sure your contact information is current and your mobile phone number is listed as such—not your home phone.

2. Immediately report a lost or stolen debit card by calling 888.698.7241. 

Important notice: Fraud alerts sent by SMS/text may be delivered to you if your phone is not in range of a transmission site, or if sufficient network capacity is not available at a particular time. Even within coverage, factors beyond the control of your wireless carrier may interfere with message delivery for which they and CU SoCal are not responsible.