Brightwell protects: Fighting fraud to keep your money safe

The change from using cash to managing your money digitally can be a big one. In addition to learning how to use your card, the Brightwell Navigator app, and living with less cash, the thought of fraud can be unsettling. But while it may seem like keeping physical cash around would be safer, it’s actually the opposite. The move to digital money not only makes banking and managing your finances more convenient, it also provides you protections that guard your money and give you peace of mind.

What is Fraud?

Fraud can mean different things to different people. Brightwell’s definition of fraud is any unauthorized use of your funds. In other words, you did not participate in or authorize anyone to complete the transaction(s) on your behalf or a person who made the transfer of money out of your account is not known to you. This means you have no relationship to them and they are total strangers to you.

There are a few ways fraud could happen. You could be asked via email or through a social media message for your username, password and/or card number and give it, thinking it was a real request from a bank or other company you have a relationship with. Sometimes companies that you shop with have information stolen from their systems, giving thieves access to your private financial information. Even something as simple as giving a friend your card or PIN for a one-time transaction can potentially expose you to theft. It can happen, and once your information gets out, it can be used to take money out of your account or make purchases without your permission.

The good news is, these types of fraud occurrences are something we understand very well. And Brightwell has your back against them, protecting your hard-earned money.

How Brightwell Protects Your Money

We keep track.

One of the best and easiest ways Brightwell keeps an eye on your money is by building detailed risk profiles so we can spot suspicious activity on your account. For example, if your home country is the Philippines and you are usually on a ship in the Caribbean but we see a transaction in Russia, it will raise a red flag, telling us that fraud could be going on. If that happens, we’ll lock your card so no additional purchases can be made and attempt to contact you to confirm the transaction was made by you. If card information is stolen from a business, we check to see if any of our cardholders made purchases at that store. Based on the amount of information compromised, we may immediately issue everyone affected a new card. The best part is, this is all done by Brightwell, without you needing to do anything at all.

We encourage PINs.

To protect your card itself, Brightwell suggests users create a PIN that they can change at any time online. If you think someone else knows your PIN or passwords, you can change them any time of the day or night. In fact, it’s a great idea to change your PINs and passwords every few months to keep the threat of fraud low.

We keep you in the know.

You can get tips and tricks on keeping your card and information safe through Brightwell flyers and in the self-service tools in our app. The app itself is also a great fraud-protection tool. Check there often to help you stay aware of what’s going on with your money. You can check your balance and see recent transactions among other things.

Ask Brightwell.

If you ever have any questions about your money’s movements, a suspicious transaction, or even just worry that your PIN or card number has been compromised, Brightwell is available 24/7 to take a look and give you answers.

We are watching when you can’t.

When you’re working, with family, resting, or just enjoying some downtime in port. When you’re on call – and when you’re not – Brightwell is on the job, protecting you and your family’s livelihood day and night.