When to Hang Up: Filtering Calls for Fraudsters

These days, it may feel like every phone call, email, or text message you receive is either spam (trying to sell something) or a scam (trying to steal something).  According to a report by Hiya, about 33% of global calls in early 2025 were either reported as a nuisance or fraudulent. The most straightforward solution is to block every number you don’t recognize and ignore every email. But fraudsters know you probably won't go to that extreme. Why? Because mixed in with those unwelcome interactions are calls from your doctor, invitations from new acquaintances, and time-sensitive alerts from your credit union. That's us!

In this article, we’ll focus on distinguishing between legitimate contact from the credit union and scam calls.  You'll learn:

• when we will call you (and why),
• when we will ask you to verify information (and why),
• what we will never ask for,
• and when is it OK to hang up on us!

Unprompted Calls from Us

There are many reasons why we’ll call you unexpectedly. Here are the most common:

• There is suspicious activity on your account.
  This is a common type of call that fraudsters imitate because it typically creates a sense of urgency.  Since a legitimate call may originate from our Fraud Center (rather than the main credit union number), it's important to remember a few key points. For starters, our Fraud Center will not call you and then ask for personal information.  Instead, they will give you a list of transactions and ask you to verify whether or not you recognize them. We will not ask you to log in to your account or verify any codes. Once you confirm whether or not the transactions are valid, the Fraud Center will refer you back to the credit union for further action.  There's no reason for them to ask for any more information.
• Your mailed statement was returned to us.
  To ensure you are receiving information about your account in a timely manner, we will reach out when we’ve received returned mail.  For this type of call, we will simply provide you with secure options for updating your address. 
• Your account is dormant. 
  After 12 months of inactivity, we may contact you to ensure that your membership remains active. These calls usually involve an employee listing ways for you to make a deposit to your account.

For comparison, here are a few reasons you might expect a call from us.

• You recently became a member.
• You submitted a loan application.
• You contacted us and requested a call back.
• Your certificate is about to renew.
• Your account has been overdrawn or past due for an extended time.

In addition to a phone call, we may send an email, letter, and/or text message if action is required on your end.  Receiving contact via multiple channels is a good way to verify that the credit union is calling for a legitimate reason. If you ever don’t feel comfortable answering questions, hang up and call our main line at 504-576-5800 or 1-800-586-4728. 

Verifying Your Information with Us

Just as there are times when we call unexpectedly, there are also times when we must verify your information.  Here are the most common:

• When you call us. 
  To protect your account from fraudsters who may attempt to impersonate you, we will require you to verify your account number, some personal information, and a security code texted to your phone when you call us directly. The difference here is that you initiated the call; we did not. Always make sure you call our official numbers before providing any information.
• When you ask for protected information.  
  If we call you for a specific reason and then you request more information, such as your account number or balance, we will ask you to verify your identity. If you don’t feel comfortable doing that in the moment, hang up and call our main line at 504-576-5800 or 1-800-586-4728.

Things We Never Ask For

There are some things we don't ever need to ask for, such as:

• Your password. 
  Even if you asked us to help you log in to online banking, we will NEVER ask for your password.
• Your verification code for online banking.
  Our member service team may ask you to verify a code when you call us directly; however, we will NEVER ask you to give us the code sent by our online banking system.  And, we will absolutely never call you and ask for it. If that happens, just hang up and call us at 504-576-5800 or 1-800-586-4728 to notify us.
• Your full Social Security number.
  We already have your SSN on file, so the most we will ever ask for is the last 4 digits. There is never a reason we will need you to verify your full SSN.
• Your RiverLand debit or credit card information.
  Again, we already have this information.  We may ask you to verify the last 4 digits or tell us when the card expired to ensure we’re looking at the right one. However, we’ll never ask you to provide the full card number, expiration date, and CVV code.  

Remember, if you call us directly, we may ask you to verify your account number and a few other details. We will not request this information if we initiate the call.

Yes, it's ok to hang up!

If you ever feel uncomfortable providing information, please don't hesitate to end the call. If you’re not sure what to say, here’s an idea: “I’m sorry, I don’t feel comfortable giving you this information.  What’s your name so that I can call the credit union directly?”  Our representatives will be happy to provide you with their names.  If the caller is not willing to do this, don’t argue - just hang up!

Remember, we’re here to help you! 

Contact us if you have any concerns or questions.

504-576-5800  |  1-800-586-4728

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