Debit Card Fraud & Protection

The potential for debit card fraud continues to grow and your bank has put tools in place to combat its occurrence.  You can be the first line of defense!  Whenever you see any suspicious or unauthorized activity on your account, by debit card or otherwise, please be sure to contact us immediately.  Unauthorized debit card transactions often happen far from home.  For this reason, it is important for you to contact us whenever you plan to travel outside the area, particularly overseas, or your transactions, both purchases and ATM withdrawals, may be denied.

Debit card transactions for the following states are restricted to PIN-based only:

  • California
  • Nevada
  • Pennsylvania
  • Florida
  • New York
  • Maryland
  • Georgia
  • New Jersey

If a signature-based debit card transaction doesn’t go through at a merchant location (in any state), try it as a PIN-based transaction (enter your PIN as part of the transaction).  From time to time, we may block signature-based transactions from a particular type of merchant or area of the country if we are experiencing high volumes of debit card fraud.

If you are planning a trip outside of Texas please contact us right away by phone, e-mail, or by coming into the bank and we will take steps to prevent your signature-based debit card transactions from being blocked during your trip.  Remember, if you do not contact us, this type of transaction outside the area will likely be denied.  Also, consider having more than one way of accessing your cash when traveling.

As debit card fraud is constantly changing the above information may change at any time and without notice.  Please call your New Accounts Representative at (325) 853-2561 to verify a state or merchant if you have any questions.

We May Be Calling You.

To protect your account, we monitor your ATM and debit card transactions for potentially fraudulent activity which may include a sudden change in locale (such as when you travel out-of-state or overseas), a sudden string of costly purchases, or any pattern associated with new fraud trends around the world.  If we suspect fraudulent ATM or debit card use, we’ll be calling you to validate the legitimacy of your transactions.  Your participation in responding to our call is critical to prevent potential risk and avoid restrictions we may place on the use of your card.

  • You’ll be able to respond via your touchtone keypad.
  • You’ll also be provided a toll-free number to call should you have additional questions.
  • Our automated call will ask you to verify recent card transactions.

Our goal, quite simply, is to minimize your exposure to risk and the impact of any fraud.  To ensure we can continue to reach you whenever potential fraud is detected, please keep us informed of your correct phone number and address at all times.

Stay Informed.

View and track your Debit Card activity with Online Banking.  Set up e-mail or text alerts (messaging rates and/or data usage may apply) to let you know about changes in your balance or when a large purchase has been made.  We also provide 24-hour phone access at (888) 918-0852. 

Protect Yourself.

In the meantime, please be diligent in monitoring transaction activity on your account and contact us immediately if you identify any fraudulent transactions.

Here are some additional tips on protecting yourself from debit card fraud.

  1. Unless absolutely required for a legitimate business purpose, avoid giving out your:
    • Social Security number
    • Date of Birth
    • Address and ZIP code
    • Phone number
    • Card or account number
    • Card expiration date

Your PIN is private; NEVER give it out!

  1.  In stores and at ATMs, always cover your card and PIN, and watch for;
    • Cell phone cameras, mirrors, or other tools used to view cards and PINs
    • People watching your transactions
    • Cashiers taking your card out of sight; take it to the register yourself
    • Any unusual activity at ATMs; if you feel uncomfortable, go to another ATM
  1.  Online, you should never respond to unsolicited emails that:
    • Ask you to verify your card or account number; such emails are not sent by legitimate businesses
    • Link to websites; such sites can look legitimate but may collect data or put spyware on your computer

As always if you have any questions feel free to contact a New Accounts Representative at (325) 853-2561.