Here are some ways to avoid holiday scams while on the go.
Do you have plans to travel this holiday season? Whether you’re jet-setting across the country or road tripping to a neighboring county, we understand that the need for safe and secure banking doesn’t stop while on the road.
Before you celebrate with family and friends this month, we want to make sure you’re prepared with Clearview’s digital tools and tips to help you to remain connected to your banking and stay financially secure.
Set up travel alerts with Card Defense®.
The Card Defense® app gives you real-time control of your debit or credit cards from your phone. Download the app before your next flight or road trip, log in, and enroll your Clearview cards to get started. Once enrolled, you can let us know when you're traveling and where you're going so you can avoid declined card transactions while you're there! This app also offers other helpful secure banking features, such as reporting your card lost or stolen, turning your cards off and on if you misplace or find them, and much more.
Bank face-to-face with our staff from your phone or computer with Clearview Live®.
From your phone, simply download the Clearview Live® app and tap Quick Video Call to get started. You can also access Clearview Live® using your computer’s webcam and microphone to get all of your banking done from the comfort of your home (or wherever you’re staying). From your phone or computer, you can ask questions about your account, make loan payments, transfer between accounts, and even deposit checks.
Don’t let the Grinch mess with your financial security.
Not everyone is jolly during the holidays. It’s important to stay wary of using public Wi-Fi to access your banking accounts or pay a bill, and watch out for card skimmers when using your physical card. Also, be aware of potential holiday scams. It’s always best to be safe rather than sorry, so if that email or text message is looking phishy, do not interact with it. As a reminder, Clearview will never call, email, or text you to ask for your personal or account information.
Stay diligent when using peer-to-peer money transfer applications.
Two of the most widespread scams during holiday shopping season are non-delivery and non-payment crimes. An article by the FBI states that “in a non-delivery scam, a buyer pays for goods or services they find online, but those items are never received. Conversely, a non-payment scam involves goods or services being shipped, but the seller is never paid.”
Apps like Zelle® are certainly a fast and easy way to send and request money from friends and family you know and trust. Unfortunately, scammers can target Zelle® users by offering a promised product or service, requesting money from the user, and never following through with the agreed upon deal. The biggest tip to avoiding this type of holiday scam is to only send money to those you know and trust. Keep in mind that if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
We understand that your financial security is always top of mind. Whether you’re on the road this holiday season or visiting family down the street, we want to make sure that secure banking with Clearview is less of a worry for you and your busy life. From setting travel alerts to knowing the risks of public Wi-Fi and card skimmers, these tips and tools will help you avoid Scrooges and their holiday scams this year.