For several hours, customers across the Tri-State found themselves cut off from their own money as a widespread outage hit Portsmouth-based Desco Federal Credit Union, knocking out online banking, in-branch transactions, and even debit card access for some members.
What Happened
Desco first alerted members that it was experiencing major system issues, warning that both online banking and in-branch transactions were down. The problem affected all branches, prompting locations to temporarily close and post “closed” signs on their doors.
A few hours later, Desco announced a partial recovery, saying systems were restored and extending lobby and drive-thru hours to help customers catch up on delayed transactions.
But the relief didn’t last for everyone.
Shortly afterward, Desco issued another update acknowledging ongoing problems:
“Our sincerest apologies. At this current time, online banking is only working intermittently. We will update members when it is available.”
Debit Cards, Too
Customers began reporting an even bigger concern: debit cards weren’t working, leaving some people unable to buy gas, groceries, or access cash. Desco confirmed the issues were intermittent, meaning some transactions went through while others failed — an especially frustrating scenario for people living paycheck to paycheck.
Widespread Impact
Desco Federal Credit Union serves a large regional footprint across Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia, including branches in:
- Portsmouth
- Lucasville
- Minford
- Wheelersburg
- Greenup
- Ironton
- Huntington
- Ashland
Because Desco operates as a community credit union, many members rely heavily on digital banking and debit access rather than large branch networks — making outages like this especially disruptive.
Why This Matters
For many local residents, credit unions like Desco aren’t just a place to save money — they’re how people pay rent, buy food, get gas, and manage daily life. Even a short outage can snowball into missed payments, declined transactions, and serious stress.
Several customers reported:
- Inability to check balances
- Declined debit transactions
- Closed branches when help was needed most
What Customers Can Do During Banking Outages
If you’re ever caught in a situation like this again, financial experts recommend:
Keep a small emergency cash reserve if possible
Have a backup payment method (credit card or secondary account)
Avoid repeated debit attempts, which can trigger fraud flags
Watch for delayed postings once systems come back online
The Bottom Line
Desco says services are returning, but the incident highlights how vulnerable people can be when digital banking suddenly goes dark. For a community-focused credit union serving thousands across the region, transparency, communication, and system reliability are critical — especially when members are literally locked out of their money.
Desco has apologized and says updates will continue as systems stabilize. Customers are encouraged to monitor official Desco communications and contact their local branch once services are fully restored.
