Card Protection Tips

Help protect your debit and credit cards from fraud by telling us your travel plans ahead of time. Please let us know your specific destination(s) and dates of travel so we can monitor your account more effectively. Complete the Travel Notification form in Internet Branch online banking or call us at (877) 732-2848, at least 48 hours prior to your departure. Don't forget to provide us with a contact phone number for you while traveling whenever possible.

• Verify that your debit or credit card doesn't expire during your travel dates.
• It is suggested that you carry multiple forms of payment such as one credit card and one debit card. For your convenience, we offer the SDCCU Cash Card prepaid reloadable debit card and Visa^® gift cards.
• Carry and pack your forms of payment separately. For example, a credit card in a suitcase and a debit card in a wallet or purse.
• Verify that you know your PIN for your card(s).
• Keep SDCCU's phone number (877) 732-2848 with you in case you need to report your card lost/stolen or to verify activity. You can report your card lost/stolen 24/7 through Internet Branch Self Service or through TalkTone Teller^®.
• Visit the U.S. Department of State’s Tips While Traveling Abroad.

You can visit your local branch to purchase a prepaid reloadable debit card and/or Visa gift card. If your current card will be expiring during travel and/or you need to select your own unique PIN for your card(s), please visit any SDCCU branch location for assistance.

If we discover a suspicious transaction(s), we may contact you and ask that you verify the transaction(s) before they are processed. You will be called from one of the numbers noted below or via text message through Fraud Text Alerts. Please make sure we always have your current contact information on file. To protect yourself, please only discuss your information over the phone during a call received from one of the numbers below. If you have any questions, contact our main number at (877) 732-2848.
 
Within U.S.: (866) 518-0213 (phone number of our fraud detection partner)
Outside U.S.: 00-1-515-457-2095
 

SDCCU offers free and convenient real-time fraud alerts via text message. These alerts can help prevent fraudulent activity on your signature-based debit and credit transactions.
 
Protecting your account is easy!

1. All cardholders with a valid mobile number on file are automatically enrolled!
2. We’ll send you a text message if there is suspicious activity detected on your account.
3. Reply to confirm whether or not you recognize the transaction.
   • If you do not recognize the transaction, we will block usage of your card
   • If you do recognize the transaction, your card will remain available for use.

Fraud text alerts will come from 21556. SDCCU also uses these short codes for other purposes:

• 21556 (Fraud Text Alerts)
• ​73228 (Text Banking)
• 473228 (Other Messaging)

Save these numbers in your phone so if we text you with a fraud alert, you know it's from us.
Visit our blog for more tips about how to protect yourself from financial scammers.

Reminder: SDCCU will never ask for your personal information via text. If you are in doubt of the validity of a call or text, please call our main number at (877) 732-2848 or visit our Contact Us page.