Medina County Federal Credit Union

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MedFed's Text Fraud Alerts let you know about suspicious Visa card activity

We’ve always monitored your Visa credit card account for fraud, and now we can quickly text you if we see something suspicious. If you receive a fraud alert message, simply respond whether the transaction was yours or not. If you miss our text, we’ll try to call you or send you an email.

Traveling with your cards? Let us know first.

Call or email MedFed before you travel so we can add a travel exception to your MedFed cards. To protect you from fraudulent card use, we identify suspicious activity and can automatically freeze the use of your card if we suspect a thief is using your card information. Just let us know where and when you will be traveling and we will make sure you are not inconvenienced.

Q. How do I enroll in Fraud Alerts?
A. We have already included you in these enhanced services as part of our fraud protection services. Please call or email us with your current cell phone number and/or email address.

Q. What triggers these alerts?
A. Transactions that we have identified as potential fraud.

Q. Is this service 24 hours, or only in a certain window?
A. Text Alerts will be sent from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. in your time zone. Calls will be sent from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in your time zone. Emails will be sent 24 hours. Texts and voice calls pending from the night before will be triggered the following morning at the applicable time noted above. Agents are available to help you 24/7.

Q. How can I stop text messages if I don’t want to receive them any longer?
A. All you need to do is respond back to the SMS text alert with the word STOP.

Q. Are there charges for the text alerts?
A. Consumers who have service through AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile will not be charged message or data rates for our fraud alerts. We absorb that cost for you!

Q. Can the alerts be sent to me if I am travelling internationally?
A. We are unable to send text or phone calls internationally, so please make sure your email address is current as we can always email you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Q. If I receive an alert, does that automatically block my account from further purchases?
A. The majority of suspected fraud accounts will be blocked, just as they are today. However, some lower risk items may not be declined.

Q. If I respond back that the transaction(s) are valid, will you automatically unblock my account?
A. Yes, though please keep in mind that it could take 5 to 10 minutes for a block to be removed in some situations.

Q. If a transaction is declined due to suspected fraud, but I validate that I did make the purchase, can I try to complete the purchase again?
A. Once the alert is updated in our fraud system, you can attempt the transaction again, usually within 5 to 10 minutes of the initial call/ text/email to validate activity.

Q. What if my “yes” or “no” text response has a typo?
A. The system will accept many common typo variations of the “yes” or “no” text message response. If the system cannot understand what was typed, it will generate a message to call a representative for help.

Q. Is there a difference for consumers and businesses cardholders?
A. No.

Q. Can I establish preferences through my mobile app?
A. Communicate alerts are not configured through a mobile app, but rather through our fraud systems. The standard order of engagement is: 1) Text, 2) Voice Call, 3) Email. Alerts generated overnight result in an email only until calling and texting hours are available. Text will be sent from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. in the cardholder’s time zone. Calls will be sent from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the your time zone.

Q. How do incoming and outgoing voice calls work?
A. Communicate actions are triggered by today’s existing fraud alerts through the Falcon system. If a mobile phone is on record, a text alert will be triggered first. All numbers on record that are identified as a mobile phone will be utilized. Communicate has technology that allows it to determine if a phone number is a mobile or land line, so indicators within the processing platform are not required. If we do not receive a response to the text(s), the system sends an automated voice call asking you to confirm if authorizations are valid or unrecognized. If you select “Not Recognized,” the call is transferred to an agent to confirm the fraudulent transaction(s). If there is no response to the text or voice call, an email is sent requesting that you confirm the transactions are valid.