Fraud Prevention Guide

from the security experts at United Community

Stay Alert. Stay Safe.

With so much of our lives online, we're all potential targets for fraud. But there are steps you can take to protect yourself--and at United, our first priority is keeping your personal information safe. Learn more about fraud in our Online Fraud Glossary and use the resources below to recognize, prevent, and report potential scams.

Fraud Webinar: Preventing Business Email Compromise

Business fraud takes many forms—and it’s constantly changing. Learn how we partner with our commercial and small business customers every day to proactively prevent fraud from occurring and to mitigate risk.

Hear from a panel of experts about the latest trends in business email fraud, how to recognize and prevent it, and practical ways you can keep your business protected.

David Whitlock | Special Agent, FBI
Emily Dixon | Treasury Solutions Officer, United Community
Jay Rajaee | Chief Security Officer, United Community
Alison Townsend | Director of Treasury Management, United Community

Watch On-Demand Recap Article

Protect Yourself from Text Message Scams

Recently, there’s been a surge in text scams that seem to come from legitimate fraud prevention centers. Here's how it typically works: You get a text message asking you about a suspicious purchase or, asking you to validate an unusual purchase. Once you say no, you immediately get a call asking you to verify yourself with sensitive information like debit card details, PIN numbers, or even your digital banking login credentials.

Don’t take the bait—this scam can be convincing, but you should never share information like logins, codes, or PINs over the phone—and a real banker won’t ask you to. If you receive a call and you’re in doubt, hang up and call us at 1-800-UCBANK1 (1-800-822-2651).

More Details to Know

daughter showing parents how to use Zelle safely

Using Zelle® Safely

Zelle® and other peer-to-peer payment systems, like Venmo and Cashapp, are convenient tools and easy ways to quickly send money between people. Because of this, you should be absolutely sure that you know and trust who you're sending you money to before you click 'send'.

Scammers can impersonate banks and people you trust to try and convince you to send them payments through peer-to-peer payment systems like Venmo, Cash app, and Zelle®.

Online Shopping Safety Tips

In the US alone, there are 2.1 million online retailers. It can be overwhelming to decide what to buy, much less to distinguish what retailers you can trust. But shopping online is a great way to avoid the crowds without leaving your home—and you can do it safely. Check out the following steps you can take to protect yourself and your money online.

Learn More Safety Tips

Will your password hold up against a hacker?

In our increasingly digital world, passwords have almost become an afterthought. We use passwords for everything from credit card accounts to social media, but when was last time you really considered the strength of the passwords you use?

Check My Password Best Practices

How to protect yourself from wire fraud.

Wire fraudsters are masters of impersonation who appear in a range of guises, from your local power company to software tech support. But there are some easy ways to start seeing fraudsters for what they are and help keep them away from your money.

Think you've been scammed?

Report your experience to us immediately.
1-800-UCBANK1 (1-800-822-2651)

Have questions?

Our team members are dedicated to you, and they can provide the support and resources you need.
Schedule an appointment at your local branch or give us a call at 1-800-UCBANK1 (1-800-822-2651).

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Prevent Fraud with these United Services

Card Controls

With Card Controls, you can establish spending limits, set alerts, turn your card off and back on again, and view your spending insights within online and mobile banking.

Learn More

Alerts and Notifications

Nobody likes surprises with their finances–that’s why United helps you be the first to know about every activity in your account. Simply set the alerts you’d like to receive in the “Settings” menu of your digital banking account and you can receive email, phone, and text message alerts and notifications any time, from anywhere.

Set Alerts

Digital Support and Guides

View our library of resources and tutorials related to the security features and functions of Online and Mobile Banking.

View Resources

Helpful Resources

Preventing Business Email Compromise

Business email compromise (BEC) is one of the most prevalent and financially damaging cybercrimes. Learn about the latest trends in business email fraud, how to recognize and prevent it, and practical ways you can keep your business protected.

Read Article

Best Practices for a Strong P@s$w0rd

Creating a strong password is a vital defense against unauthorized access to your online accounts. That’s why so many websites require one. Strong passwords protect you from hackers and malicious software. Here’s how to create them.

Read Article

couple working on savings habits in kitchen

Seven Tips to Establish Good Savings Habits

When you think about saving more, your first thought is probably to tighten your budget. But saving more money doesn’t always have to mean cutting something else out. There are many ways to save in your daily life—and we’ve pulled together a few simple habits that will make a difference towards your next big savings goal.

Read Article

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Zelle® and the Zelle® related marks are wholly owned by EarlyWarningServices, LLC and are used herein under license.