HOYT LAKES, Minn.–NorthRidge Credit Union here was forced to deactivate the debit cards of numerous members to reduce risks presented by skimming devices in its market.

The credit union said in a statement that it had recently blocked a “common” fraudster attempting to steal debit card information, but said that no member data has been compromised.

“As any financial institution knows, it is a constant, around the clock effort to mitigate fraud as much as possible,” Marketing Manager Ashley Kjenaas told WDIO. “The success rate of our fraud department is over 99%. We successfully blocked this fraudster from attacking. Again, no member data was compromised.”

Nevertheless, the $114-million NorthRidge CU said it deactivated the cards as a precautionary measure.

‘Frustrating Process,’ But…

“We understand that this is a frustrating process for members; however, it is necessary to deactivate the debit cards affected,” Kjenaas told WDIO. “Our members’ safety and security is our first and foremost priority.”

In February, NorthRidge Community CU added a post to its website that included information on what skimming is and how members can protect themselves and included photos of what skimmers may look like. 

The credit union has approximately 7,600 members.