Keeping the Visa® Prepaid Card and your account secure helps protect the savings you've set aside against identity theft, fraudulent transactions, and other security risks. There are several steps you can take to secure the account, and if someone else carries the Card, we encourage you to talk about account security together.
In this article, you'll learn what to do if you think the Card or account has been compromised, the steps you can take to keep the account secure, and security tips worth sharing with the cardholder.
Throughout this article, "cardholder" means the person whose name is printed on the Card. Depending on how the Card was ordered, that may be the Beneficiary or Account Owner, or the Authorized Individual or Authorized Legal Representative who manages the account on their behalf.
If you suspect fraud, or the Card is lost or stolen
If you've noticed a transaction you don't recognize, the Card has been misplaced, or you think someone may have the Card information, please act as soon as you can. The sooner we know, the better we can protect the account.
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Temporarily deactivate the Card. This stops new purchases while you look into what happened. You can reactivate the Card later if it turns out to be safe. You can do this from the Account tab on your dashboard, or through the automated phone system for your plan, which is generally available 24 hours a day:
- STABLE Account: 1-888-364-8430
- All other ABLE accounts: 1-888-219-9054
- 529 Savings Plan: 1-888-442-8480
Press 5 to report the Card as lost or stolen, then follow the prompts. You'll be asked for the last 4 digits of the Card number, the 4 digits of the year the cardholder was born, and the last 4 digits of the cardholder's Social Security number. For full steps, see Temporarily Deactivate and Replace a Lost or Stolen Card.
- Review recent transactions. Check the cardholder's Transactions tab and note anything unfamiliar.
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Contact our Customer Support team. Reach out to report fraud or a lost or stolen Card, and to order a replacement if you need one:
- STABLE Account: call 1-844-599-4690 or email card@stableaccount.com
- All other ABLE accounts: call 1-844-276-4547 or email ablecard@truelinkfinancial.com
- 529 Savings Plan accounts: call 1-833-372-1147 or email 529card@truelinkfinancial.com
If you see a transaction you don't recognize or believe is incorrect, contact our Customer Support team right away — we can help you review it and file a dispute. Because the Card may be compromised, we will close it and order a replacement as part of the fraud dispute process. You can report the fraud and begin your dispute in the same call or email — our team will walk you through closing the Card and submitting the dispute together. To learn more, see Disputing Fraudulent Transactions or Merchant Errors. See the Cardholder Agreement for how unauthorized transactions are handled.
Steps to keep your account secure
- Never mail an active Card. We recommend waiting to activate the Card until it arrives with the cardholder. If you must activate it before sending it, temporarily deactivate the Card while it's in the mail.
- Use Spending Settings to allow only trusted merchants. Spending Settings let you block categories of merchants as well as individual merchants. Keep in mind that these settings control purchases at the merchant level, not on individual items. We also recommend keeping the ScamWatch list blocked under your top-line protections. To learn more, see the Spending Settings Overview and Spending Settings - ScamWatch, Powered by Retina™.
- Consider blocking transaction types you don't expect. If you don't expect the cardholder to make certain kinds of transactions, you can use Spending Settings to block those transaction types for extra security.
- Use a secure internet connection. When you sign in to your dashboard, use a secure computer and a secure internet connection. Avoid public computers or public Wi-Fi whenever possible.
- Use a strong, unique password. Choose a password you don't use on any other website, and never share it with anyone who shouldn't have access to the account. A password manager, such as Google Password Manager or 1Password, can help you store it securely.
- Turn on two-step verification. Two-step verification adds an extra layer of security by requiring a one-time code in addition to your password. The code is sent by email or by text message to the mobile number on your account; a landline can't receive the code. For step-by-step instructions, see How to Enable Two-step Verification.
- Give each person their own sign-in. If someone else helps you manage the account, ask us to add them as a user with their own email and password rather than sharing yours. See Add an Additional User.
- Review transactions regularly. Watch for anything unusual for the cardholder, such as purchases in a different area from where they live. To make this easier, you can set up Alerts to be notified automatically. Report anything that looks like fraud right away (see the section above).
Tips to share with the cardholder
Account security works best when you and the cardholder are on the same page. Here are tips worth sharing with the person who carries the Card:
- Don't give or lend the Card to anyone. If someone else uses the Card, that person may make purchases the account is responsible for. Even if the Card is returned with no purchases made, the borrower could have recorded the Card information to make unauthorized transactions later.
- Keep the PIN secure. The PIN is the personal identification number for the Card. If possible, it shouldn't be written down — and never on the Card itself. If it is written down, it should be kept somewhere separate from the Card. When entering the PIN at a merchant or ATM, the cardholder should make sure others can't see what they're entering.
- Watch out for ATM skimming devices (CalABLE and PA ABLE Cards). Only CalABLE and PA ABLE Cards can be used to withdraw cash; Cards from other ABLE plans and 529 plans can't. If the cardholder uses a CalABLE or PA ABLE Card at an ATM, they should know that ATM skimming is an illegal practice of gathering account data from a Card that is swiped. It can be hard to spot, so the cardholder should be careful at public ATMs (for example, at a restaurant or outside a gas station), watch for loose wires, tape, or anything out of place on the machine, and always cover the keypad when entering the PIN.
- Never share the full Card number or CVV. The full Card number and the 3-digit CVV on the back of the Card should only be given to a merchant for a purchase. True Link will never ask for this information.
- Use a secure internet connection. The cardholder should use a secure computer and internet connection when signing in to their dashboard or the True Link mobile app, and avoid public computers or public Wi-Fi whenever possible.
- Shop only at trusted merchants. This is especially important for online purchases. If the cardholder hasn't shopped with a merchant before, they can look the merchant up first, or check with you.
- Review transactions regularly. The cardholder can review recent transactions on their dashboard, in the True Link mobile app, or through the automated phone system for their plan (listed above). If they notice a purchase they didn't make, they should let you know right away so you can review it and report it to our Customer Support team.
From here, you may want to:
- Temporarily Deactivate and Replace a Lost or Stolen Card
- Cardholder Access and Capabilities – what the cardholder can see and do on their own.
If you have any questions about account security, or you've identified a transaction you don't recognize, please don't hesitate to contact our Customer Support team.