Scam and Fraud Prevention

Scammers and hackers are taking advantage of people’s fears surrounding the Coronavirus. Here are important tips and information to protect yourself.

Quick Tips:

• Do not share card, account, or personal information on social media, emails, or phone calls.
• Do not click on attachments or links in emails you were not expecting.
• Seek out information from reputable websites by going to the websites directly.
• Report coronavirus-related scams to the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint.
• Starting April 20, 2020, Experian, TransUnion and Equifax will offer all U.S. consumers free weekly credit reports for the next year through AnnualCreditReport.com to help you protect your financial health during the sudden and unprecedented hardship caused by COVID-19. 

Things to Know:

• PARDA will never contact you in any manner and ask you for your card number, account number, or any other personal information. If you suspect fraudulent contact or activity on your card or account, call us at 1.800.860.5640.
• Always be on high alert for any email, phone call, or text you receive that is offering unexpected information/help and is also asking for your personal information.
• Do not click on attachments or links in emails or texts, from sources you do not know and were not expecting an email/text from. It may download a virus on your device.
• Currently, be overly cautious of emails that appear to be from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) or the World Health Organization (WHO) stating there are important updates on the virus which instruct you to click on a link. For the latest information from these organizations, go directly to their websites.
• It is important to only use reputable sources when searching for information on the Coronavirus.
• If you are making donations, do your homework on the organization before you donate to it. 
• Our government has approved a stimulus package that will include payments made to taxpayers. You will not be required to pay any fee or take any action at all in order to be eligible for this payment.

• Will I get a payment?
• How much will my payment be?
• How and when will I receive it?
• Do I need to do anything to get it?

For more information about the government stimulus program, visit IRS.gov.

Protecting your Debit Card(s): 

Text Alerts for Suspicious Transactions: PARDA continually monitors our member's debit cards for fraudulent activity. If our fraud monitoring service detects a suspicious transaction on your account, we will alert you via text message about the transaction in question only. We will never send you any message asking for personal, card, or account information. If you receive a message asking for this type of information, DO NOT RESPOND and please contact us at 1.800.860.5640.

Card Controls Help Prevent Card Fraud: Our MobiMoney app puts control in your hands. The app allows you to turn your card off/on, receive instant alerts, and limit usage based on location, merchant preferences, transaction type, and threshold limits. Manage and monitor your debit card right from your phone.