Receiving an unrequested Chime card in the mail can spark instant worry, confusion, and the need to understand why a card has arrived at your address when you didn’t order it.
Let’s investigate the potential reasons behind this and address any concerns you may have to help quickly resolve the issue.
Why Did You Receive a Chime Card in The Mail?
Chime doesn’t send cards without an online application via their app or website. If an unexpected card has arrived this indicates fraudulent activity requiring immediate action to protect your banking history. To resolve this contact Chime support via phone on (+1 (844) 244-6363) to report the issue.
What is Chime?
Chime is a financial technology company (not a bank) offering an online-only banking service by partnering with two banks, and providing a checking and savings account. They offer two types of cards, a Visa® Debit Card and a secured Credit Builder Visa® Credit Card.
Chime works through a mobile banking application and offers benefits such as no monthly or overdraft fees, and alternative credit-building solutions to raise your credit score.
Should You Take Action After Receiving a Random Chime Card in The Mail?
If you receive a random Chime Card in the mail, this suggests the opening of an account that wasn’t opened by you, indicating fraudulent activity. Therefore you should take immediate action to understand why the card was sent. Contact Chime support ASAP via their App or website and report this issue.
How to Contact Chime Support? (And Get to Speak to a Live Person!)
To talk to a member of their team you will need to call them at 1-844-244-6363. Support is available 24/7 which is good to know.
Additionally, Chime does not provide live chat support (real-time messaging with support agents).
How to Close The Chime Account Opened in Your Name:
To close a Chime Account wrongfully opened in your name you will need to verify who you are, so have documents such as your ID card, Driver’s License, Birth Certificate, and SSN ready. Then you can call their support team and let them know someone has fraudulently opened an account in your name and ask them to freeze or close the account.
Chime offers a Zero Liability Policy meaning that you will not be held responsible for unauthorized purchases made through a fraudulent account.
Are There Any Fees for Closing the Chime Account?
There are no fees currently associated with closing your Chime Account. Although, if you have any negative balance outstanding transactions that are yet to clear then they must be cleared in order to complete the process.
Can You Prevent This From Happening Again?
Here are some general tips to prevent credit card fraud or identity theft:
Security Freeze
A security/credit freeze is put in place to prevent access to your credit report. In turn, creditors and lenders can’t view your credit history, which helps prevent fraudulent activities such as identity theft and credit card fraud.
To place a security freeze on your credit reports you will need to contact each of the 3 credit agencies separately to place a security freeze on each of your reports. It may come with a small fee but will halt anyone from obtaining new credit in your name.
To add, with a Chime Account, it’s possible to freeze and unfreeze credit as you wish.
Protect Your Personal Information
Be mindful of suspicious emails, phone calls, and text messages asking for your account details, and don’t provide these before validating their authenticity. You can do this by calling the official phone number of the source to confirm they are legit requests.
Strong passwords can also protect against identity theft, as this will prevent the hacker from guessing or cracking your passwords. You can achieve this by adding a minimum of 12 characters, and a mixture of alphabetical, numeric, upper, and lower case characters.
Avoid Public Wifi
When attempting to log into your online banking, try to avoid public WIFI spots, as this enables the hacker to place himself between you and the connection point, meaning that you are sending your information to the hacker first instead of having direct communication with the hotspot.
To further understand your bank’s credit card fraud prevention techniques, visit their website to view the specific security and safety measures.
Check Your Credit Reports (Important!)
Checking your credit reports is important for a number of reasons:
- You can better understand your credit position
- You can detect any suspicious activity immediately, helping to prevent credit card fraud
- It can help detect errors, such as credit affected through mistakes made by others
- You can work out ways of saving money by taking charge of your credit
Potential creditors such as credit card companies, mortgage lenders, and so on might check your credit history to make decisions, so keeping on top of your credit will keep you in good stead to be trusted to pay back the money you lend.
Why You Should Add a Fraud Alert:
Placing a fraud alert is a free process and is added through the three largest consumer credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. This is essential when notifying lenders that you have been a victim, or are venerable to criminal fraud.
Placing an alert also adds extra layers of protection to your accounts, influencing creditors and lenders to include additional steps when verifying your identity, such as phoning you to confirm when a new account is being opened in your name, when granting new credit, or when changes are made to existing accounts.
There are 3 types of fraud alerts that offer the same levels of protection but have different eligibility requirements. These alerts are:
- Initial one-year Fraud Alert
- Seven-year Extended Fraud Alert
- Active Military Duty Alert (service members only)
When submitting a fraud alert, you need your state-issued ID card and proof of address, such as a utility bill, lease agreement, or card statement at the ready. The good news is once you place a fraud alert with one of the three main bureaus, your request will be sent to the other two, easing the pressure of contacting all three.
How to Add a Fraud Alert on Equifax:
To submit a fraud alert on Equifax, call their security branch at (800) 525-6285.
Another method is to create or sign in to an Equifax account, visit their Fraud Alert Page, fill out a form, and submit it either online or via mail to the given address.
How to Add a Fraud Alert on Experian:
To add a fraud alert on Experian, contact their 24/7 Fraud Alert Center at 1-888-397-3742.
Alternatively, you can visit their Fraud Alert Page, navigate to which type of fraud alert you want to place, fill out a form, and submit the fraud alert request either online or via mail.
How to Add a Fraud Alert on TransUnion:
To add a fraud alert on TransUnion, contact their Fraud Victim Assistance Department at 1-800-680-7289.
Additionally, you can register with them, visit their Fraud Alert Page, choose which type of alert you wish to submit, fill out the details, and submit a request this way.
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