Fraud Prevention Guide

from the security experts at United Community

Protect Yourself for the Holidays

You’ve worked hard for your holiday spending money and your time off with family—don’t let fraudsters take any of it away from you.

As spending increases with the holidays, unfortunately, fraud does, too. But we’re here to equip you with banking tools that will help you keep your money safe and make a busy season a little easier.

Prevent Fraud with These United Services

Card Controls

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

MasterCard ID Theft Protection™

Your United Community MasterCard debit card comes with identity theft monitoring and support from a team of identity theft resolution specialists, free of charge.²

Enroll Today

Zelle®

Split the cost of a gift or send money to your friends and family with Zelle®. When you use Zelle® within United’s mobile app or online banking, your information is protected with the same technology we use to keep your bank account safe.

Learn More

eStatements

Protect yourself from mail theft and get your bank statements sent directly to your email.

Learn More

Bill Pay

Pay all your bills in one place, without having to log in to every vendor’s website and remember all your usernames and passwords.

Learn More

Fraud Prevention Resources

United Insights: Protect Your Business from Cybersecurity Threats

Hear from our panel of experts about current trends in cyber threats, best practices for protecting your business, and the steps you should take to prepare for or respond to a cyber incident.

Alison Townsend | Director of Treasury Management, United Community
Jamie Barbery | Chief Information Security Officer, United Community
Jimmy Buddenberg | Principal and Digital Practice Leader, Elliott Davis

View On-Demand Cybersecurity Resources

Protect Yourself from Check Fraud

Criminals are increasingly targeting checks—whether by stealing them from the mail and altering them with chemicals or by tricking consumers with fake check scams. Learn how to protect yourself with practical tips, like using indelible ink, monitoring your account for suspicious activity, and understanding the warning signs of fraudulent checks. Discover the advanced security features built into United Community’s checks that offer extra protection against fraud. Don’t fall victim to these scams.

How to Spot Fake Checks Protect Your Checks from Theft

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

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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Helpful Resources

woman holiday shopping and mobile banking

Fraud Prevention for the Holidays

The holidays come with more spending, more travel, and—unfortunately—more fraud. We know fraud is the last thing you want to deal with (ever, but especially during the holiday season), so we’re here to equip you with tools that will keep your money safe, while also making life easier.

Read Article

Protect Your Checks: How to Prevent Mail Theft and Fraudulent Check Washing

The US Postal Inspection Service recovers more than $1 billion in fraudulent checks and money orders each year. If you mailed a check that was paid, but the recipient never received it, criminals may have stolen it. To help postal inspectors keep your mail safe, take the following steps.

Read Article

Beware of Fake Check Scams: How to Spot and Protect Yourself from Fraud

Fake checks continue to be one of the most common instruments used to commit fraud against consumers. Before you deposit a check you weren’t expecting or wire funds to an unknown recipient, here is what you should know.

Read Article

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Source: 2024 AFP Payments Fraud and Control Survey
²Certain terms, conditions and exclusions apply. Cardholders need to register for this service. This service is provided by Iris® Powered by Generali. Please see your guide to benefits for details or call 1-800-MASTERCARD

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