With Allegacy, we are committed to protecting your information. While we are constantly pursuing ways to keep card numbers safe through new technology such as EMV chips and tokenization, there is still a small chance that fraud will occur.
Even with greater security measures in place to protect our transactions, thieves still find ways to breach systems and steal card information. The financial responsibility of fraud costs typically falls on the merchant and financial institution. Financial institutions and merchants pay billions of dollars annually to protect their customers from being the victims of fraud and over another billion when fraud actually occurs. (Kierman)
A card compromise can be part of a large data breach or happen one card at a time, such as with card skimmers that thieves place in ATM’s or gas pumps. One way financial institutions protect their customers and prevent further losses when a card is breached is to issue new card numbers to anyone whose information was compromised. When your new card is activated, the old number is blocked.
When Allegacy cards are compromised, we will issue a new card and alert you by email. If you receive a new card, it is important that you follow these steps:
- Activate the new card immediately & destroy the old card
- Call the merchants with whom you have auto-pay and change the account information
- Review account transactions for fraudulent charges and report any to your financial institution. For Allegacy card holders, you can use our mobile app to check for suspicious activity and then call our main number, 336.774.3400, and follow the prompts to report your card lost or stolen, if necessary.
- Review your credit report annually for spurious credit events such as credit cards, loans, liens, etc. (Burgess)
Issuing new cards is costly and inconvenient, but it is your best protection if thieves get through the protections we have in place. If we suspect fraudulent activity on your account, Allegacy will call, text or email (depending on your preferences) to verify the suspicious transaction.
When was the last time you updated or verified your contact information with Allegacy?
It is very important that we have a current mobile number on file for you so we can reach you in case you are out of town. This is also a great time to set up fraud texting on your account. We want to make sure you have access to your funds when you need them and not block your card unnecessarily. Consider contacting us in advance of out-of-town travel. Working together, we can keep your card active and safe.
For more information on how Allegacy protects your financial information or to learn about our card products, call 336.774.3400.
References
Burgess, Christopher. (2012). 4 Steps to follow when your card is compromised. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-burgess/global-payments-data-breach_b_1429871.html
Kierman, John. Credit card and debit card fraud statistics. Retrieved from http://www.cardhub.com/edu/credit-debit-card-fraud-statistics/
Some links included on this page route to sites owned by an independent third party unaffiliated with Allegacy. Such links are provided only as a convenience. Allegacy does not manage the operation or content of third-party websites and is not responsible for the privacy or security policies on third-party sites. Beware of disclosing personal or account information.
