Kitsap Credit Union (KCU) works with Visa Falcon Fraud protection services to continuously monitor your KCU debit and credit cards. This service helps identify and prevent fraudulent transactions. If any transactions occur on your card that are unusual or outside of your normal spending patterns, this may prompt Falcon to contact you to confirm the transaction(s).
If you have a KCU card, you are automatically enrolled. If you have a cell phone number on file with us, Falcon will send you Fraud Alerts via text messages*. If you do not have a cell phone number on file with us, Falcon will contact you at the home phone number we have associated with your account. Contact us to add a phone number or update your contact information. This ensures that we have the most up to date information on your account.
Once you are notified by Falcon Fraud and indicate to them that the transaction in question is unauthorized, they will immediately block the card. Then, Contact us during business hours so we can help you with next steps, including the dispute process and options for issuing you a new card.
Please note that Falcon will verify your identity, but they will never ask you for your full card number, expiration date, or the security code on the back of your card.
Here's more information on how Visa Falcon Fraud Alerts work.
| Text Message Alerts | Voice Call Alerts | |
| Enrollment | If you have a cell phone number on file for you, you are automatically enrolled to receive Text Message Alerts. | If you do not have a cell phone number on file, Falcon Fraud will call you at the home phone number we have on your account. |
| Notifications received from | 32874 | 1-877-902-4806 |
| 1st Notification | A text message will be sent to cell phone number we have on file. The text message will provide the last 4 digits of the card number used, the amount of the transaction, the name of the merchant making the charge, and provide you with the reply options. Reply YES if the transaction is authorized or reply NO if it is unauthorized. You will also have the option to opt out of alerts by replying STOP. | You will be called and prompted to authenticate your identity. (The Visa Falcon Fraud representative will not ask for complete information such as full social security number or full card number.) You will then have the option to indicate if the transaction in question is authorized or unauthorized. |
| If your response is that the transaction is not authorized | If you reply NO that the transaction is not authorized, a fraud specialist with Falcon Fraud will then call you to confirm your reply that the transaction is unauthorized. | If the transaction is unauthorized, your card will be blocked and you can contact us directly for next steps. |
| If your response is that the transaction is authorized. | If you reply YES that the transaction is authorized, you'll receive a second text message thanking you for confirming the activity and letting you know the account is safe for continued use. | Your card will remain active and no further action is required. |
| If there's no response from Falcon's initial contact attempt. | If no response is received from the initial text message, a second text will be sent followed by a voice call to the cell phone number on file in attempt to reach you. | If there's no answer, a message will be left that includes a case number and a phone number for you to call and verify the transaction. You can also contact us during normal business hours to review your account. |
More ways to safeguard your cards:
EMV Chip Cards
As of June 2016, KCU has issued EMV Chip Cards for our members. The "chip" refers to the EMV (Europay, MasterCard, and Visa) computer chip embedded in the card. Cards that don't have the chip use a magnetic stripe on the back to permanently store your financial information, making it an easier target for data thieves. EMV chip card technology creates a unique one-time code for each transaction that adds an additional layer of protection against in-person fraudulent transactions.
If you have an older KCU card that does not yet have an EMV Chip, give us a call or stop into a branch and we'll gladly issue a chip card for you!
Visa Purchase Alerts
As a free benefit to our members, you can enroll any or all of your KCU cards with Visa to receive Purchase Alerts. You can set notifications on your cards to email you if there's a purchase over an amount you select, if there's a charge from another country, or if there's a purchase made on the internet or over the phone.
Visit our Account Security page for more ways to safeguard your account!