Fraud Center Imposter Scams

Scammers are now impersonating Fraud Centers to gain your trust, steal your card number, and push fraudulent charges through your account. Here's what you need to know to protect yourself.

What are Fraud Center Scams?

In this sophisticated scam, fraudsters will contact you by text or phone, pretending to be from "Fraud Departments" or "Fraud Centers." The message or call claims there's a suspicious charge on your account, one that never actually happened.

The fraudster then asks you to verify your card number "for security purposes." Once they have the number, they:

  1. Run a series of fraudulent charges using the stolen card information.
  2. Wait for the real Fraud Centers to flag those charges and send you a legitimate fraud alert by text or phone.
  3. The scammer will then instruct you to approve a fraudulent charge alert while convincing you it's part of the verification process. 

As a result, these fraudulent transactions are approved and go through, often before you even realize what is happening.

How to Protect Yourself

The best defense is knowing what real fraud prevention looks like and what red flags to watch for:

  • Real Fraud Centers will never ask for your full card number, PIN, or online banking credentials.
  • If you receive a call or text about a suspicious charge, do not provide any personal or account information.
  • Hang up immediately if you're unsure about the legitimacy of a call or text.
  • Call BMI Federal Credit Union to confirm whether a suspicious fraud center communication is legitimate.
  • Don't confirm charges you didn't make. 

What to Do If You Suspect You've Been Targeted

If you think you may have given your card information to a scammer or approved a fraudulent purchase:

  1. Place a temporary block on your card through our Card Management/Alerts tool.
  2. Call us immediately at 614.707.4000.
  3. Monitor your account for unauthorized transactions.
  4. Consider updating your Online Banking password and enabling multi-factor authentication for added protection.
  5. Report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov.

Fraudsters are getting smarter and more convincing. But by staying informed and cautious, you can help stop fraud before it starts. If something doesn't feel right, trust your instincts and report it!

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(July 2025)