Fraud Alert: Counterfeit Cashier's Checks
September 17, 2019
We have heard of an increase in fraudulent Bay Federal checks making their way around the country. Did you receive a Bay Federal check, but you are unsure of its validity? Call our Member Service Center at 831.479.6000 or toll-free at 888.4BAYFED, option 3, and a Support Specialist will assist you.
As a reminder, never deposit or cash a check if you are uncertain of its source. If you have any questions about the validity or source of any check, call the financial institution that the check is drawn on to confirm it is not a fake.
Fraud Alert: Phishing Scam Targeting Financial Aid Distributions and Refunds
August 25, 2018
The Department of Education is warning college students about a phishing scam targeting financial aid distributions and refunds. Here’s a description of how the scam occurs.
Continue readingFraud Alert: Phishing Scam Targeting Financial Aid Distributions and Refunds
Fraud Alert: Protect Yourself From This New Social Media Scam
August 24, 2018
A new scam on social media has cropped up in recent days, and it is especially deceptive because it might be coming from someone you know who hasn't realized they've been duped yet! Instagram users are seeing a post in their Story that asks for a direct message (DM) to initiate the scam. Scams such as this can seem authentic sometimes, so it's important to know what to look out for.
Continue reading Fraud Alert: Protect Yourself From This New Social Media Scam
Fraud Alert: Scams are on the Rise. Here’s what to look out for.
June 22, 2018
Summer is here, but fraudsters aren’t on vacation. In fact, it appears they are working overtime. Stay safe by being aware of these common ruses and keeping your account information and login credentials private.
Continue readingFraud Alert: Scams are on the Rise. Here’s what to look out for.
Bay Federal Alerts Members About Skimming
January 7, 2016
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Bay Federal Credit Union has alerted members about a weekend incident in which a skimming device was found at the Aptos branch, leading to the arrest of two juvenile suspects from Southern California.
“We have a very clear process for letting affected members know if their cards were compromised and then we can reissue cards immediately in any one of the seven branches,” said Tonee Picard, executive vice president and chief development officer. “We have announced the skimming incident on social media... Unfortunately, this has become a common thing locally.”
Picard said video cameras at each ATM record activity and are monitored daily.
“This is how we caught this one so fast,” she said.
Bay Federal Credit Union has more than 60,000 members. The credit union posted information about skimming and ID theft at the Bay Federal website.
New Automated Fraud Prevention Calling System
April 1, 2015
Beginning Wednesday, April 15, CO-OP Financial Services, Bay Federal’s ATM network provider, will enhance their member notification efforts for suspected fraud cases. This service is used when fraud is suspected on a ATM or Debit card account, either by unusual transaction activity or unusual location of the transaction.CO-OP will enhance their efforts by introducing an automated assistant, nicknamed “Jill,” which will begin making outbound calls for some suspected fraud cases to contact members directly. “Jill” will ask members to verify recent transactions on their account to confirm that the charges are not fraudulent. Remember that neither Bay Federal Credit Union nor CO-OP will ever call you and ask for complete account information or social security numbers. CO-OP’s Card Member Security team will continue to be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to provide assistance from a live agent.
This new enhancement will contribute to reducing fraud losses for our members and the Credit Union. For more information on protecting your accounts from fraud, please visit our Fraud Prevention page.
New Technology Enables Instant Debit Card Replacement for Those Impacted by Debit Card Fraud
March 14, 2015
In response to the recent fraud risk alert, your Credit Union worked around the clock to deploy new technology to instantly reissue Debit Cards. You have the opportunity to be among the first of our members to take advantage of these new cards. Not only will you have the instant satisfaction of having a new Debit Card in hand, you will also have the ability to choose your image from our local area!
Debit Card Fraud Reported
March 11, 2015
We have identified a limited group of members whose Debit Card information (both card numbers and PINs) were at high risk for fraud. We have traced the point of compromise to a breach of cardholder information at Kmart that occurred in October 2014. Although the information was stolen from Kmart in October, fraudulent activity on accounts did not appear until Wednesday, March 11, 2015.
Scam Targeting Debit and Credit Card Users
December 4, 2014
There has been a recent increase in a phishing scam asking for important account information. Bay Federal reminds you to never, under any circumstances, supply your name, account number, PIN number, or password. Financial Institutions will never ask for personal account data, including card and PIN information. These Phishing scams are designed to gain access to your account information and could lead to identity theft.
Potential Home Depot Security Breach
September 8, 2014
The Home Depot credit and debit card breach has been all over the national news, and you may be concerned about whether or not your card has been affected. A press release put out by Home Depot on September 8, 2014 stated that cards used at Home Depot stores in the U.S. or Canada between April 11, 2014 and September 7, 2014 may have been compromised. These were in store transactions only and do not affect online purchases.