Changing your PIN (Personal Identification Number) can be necessary when you believe it has been compromised. 

For Debit Card holders:
To change your PIN, call (866) 985-2273 from the phone number we have in your account record. Follow the steps provided.

For Credit Card holders:
In order to change your PIN, you will need to know your current PIN and call (866) 297-3408. Follow the steps provided to change your PIN.  If you do not know your current PIN, contact us and we will mail it to you.

When selecting a PIN do not use any numbers associated with you personally, that may be easy to guess. For example your date of birth, street address number, or the last 4 of your Social Security Number all may be easily guessed by scammers.

Remember, your PIN will never be a number that is requested by anyone claiming to be First Northern Credit Union on the phone, or via email or text message.

Related FAQs: 
What if my PIN doesn't work? | What is my PIN? | How do I change my online banking password?

Detecting fraud on any of your accounts will always be easier if you keep consistent track of your authorized transactions. By reviewing your transaction history frequently via online or mobile banking, you may be able to detect fraud quickly if it occurs.

Text message and email alerts can also be set-up to notify you of transactions that meet your specific criteria.

At the very least, you should always review your monthly statement for inaccuracies.

Related FAQs:
How do I find my statement? | How do I log into online banking? | What if I found something wrong? | How do I check my accounts for fraud?

Contactless payments have become the safest and most convenient way for consumers to pay for purchases with your credit and debit card in person. By using Google Pay^®, Apple Pay^®, or Tap to Pay contactless payments, you are providing your card number through encryption directly to the merchant's authorization service, providing you with a secure transaction. This means that the merchant does not have direct access to your card number, offering you peace of mind. 

Related FAQs:
How does Tap to Pay work? | How do I apply for a Tap to Pay Debit Card?

First Northern Credit Union may need to occasionally contact you regarding certain activity. It is always important to remember that our employees will NEVER send unsoliticed emails, calls, or text messages in order to request any of the following things from you:

• PIN
• Online banking password
• Full account number
• Full Credit Card number
• Full Debit Card number
• Three digit code on the back of your card
• Social Security Number
• Any security code texted to you for online access

If you receive an call, text, or email that seems suspicious, or if the activity was not initiated by you, please contact us directly at (888) 328-8677 for assistance during normal business hours.

There are some instances where a payment may be taken by one of our staff members by using your account details. These calls will only come due to your initiation of a request for contact for payment.

Related FAQs:
How do I securely contact FNCU through email?

The answer is maybe.

You may want to file a police report which could help identify a scammer. In some cases, First Northern Credit Union may request a police report to be filed as part of the dispute. More information will be provided to you if that becomes necessary. 

You may also want to consider reporting fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Although these cases take a long time and scammers may not be local, if enough people were to report a similar instance of fraud it could help the FTC trace a scammer's digital footprint and ultimately identify them.  

Related FAQs: 
What do I do if I've been scammed? | How can I tell if it's a scam? | How can I reduce my risk for being scammed?

Helpful Links:
Illinois Department of Human Services - Report Fraud
FTC - Report Fraud
Better Business Bureau - Report a Scam
Illinois Adult Protective Services - Report Elder Abuse

Sharing information about scams can feel overwhelming and might scare  someone. However, it is important that people are aware of certain risks and how to end any scam attempt before it happens.

By sharing what you learn about scams, you are helping others recognize the signs of fraud, and possibly saving them time and money. You can also direct others to our Fraud and Security Center so that they can educate themselves at their own pace.

Ultimately, sharing your knowledge of fraud and scams will help ensure that it will become more and more difficult for scammers to succeed.

Related FAQs:
What are the most common things scams will do?

Helpful Links:
First Northern Blog Articles about Fraud and Scams
Better Business Bureau: Scam Tracker

Being a target of a scam or being scammed is never a personal attack. Those who perpetrate these scams use the same tactics on millions of individuals, ultimately hoping a few will fall for their crime. 

Often, you won't know you have been scammed until after it happens, which is why First Northern offers the support we do when it comes to fraud and scams. 

While it is unfortunate that scammers and fraud exist, it is important to recognize that sharing your experiences with scams and fraud will help ensure that it will become more and more difficult for them to succeed.

It is also important to remember that once you recognize that you have ben scammed or your information may have been compromised, that you contact us (or your other financial institutions) as soon as possible. The sooner we are aware of the issue, the quicker we can act to protect you from additional attempts on your account.

If you have a debit card with First Northern, and you believe that card to be lost, stolen, or the information for the account shared with a scammer, you are able to turn off and on your debit card via our online banking or our official mobile app. This quick step can also prevent additional fraud from taking place on this account.

Related FAQs:
What can I do to reduce my risk of being scammed? | What types of scams are there?
How can I recognize a scam? | What do I do when I've been scammed?

Fraud will generally look a little different every time it happens, which is what makes it hard to detect and stop.

Scammers rely on how busy the world is and how everything happens automatically, including potentially not noticing transactions on your account until they happen.

It may be common for a scammer to attempt smaller purchases on your credit or debit card before attempting a larger one. This is why transaction alerts are helpful — acting on a small transaction you did not authorize and freezing or turning off your card can stop a larger transaction from occurring. 

A good rule of thumb is to be aware of information you provide to anyone you don’t know personally, so you can remain protected. If you do fall victim to a scammer or feel you may have divulged too much information to someone, contact us at 888.328.8677 so we can help secure your account.

If you are the owner of a First Northern Debit Card, you have the ability to turn off and on this card via our online banking or official mobile app. This will ensure no additional transactions are approved while you are being assisted with any fraud issues.

Related FAQs:
How can I reduce my risk of being scammed? | How can I check my accounts for fraud? | Can I receive alerts about my purchases?