October 21, 2020
In my day job, I work as a Software Solutions Architect at a bank. I’d like to share with everyone an email that our fraud department sent to customers. I am going to change the bank name to bank and I am going to make other parts generic, but other than that, this is the email that was sent by our fraud department.
| Beware of Calls Appearing to Come from Your Bank. Fraudsters continually think up new ways to steal your personal information or to trick you into releasing this information. Scammers are impersonating bank call centers and fraud departments to trick victims into thinking that their bank is calling them. Then, the scammers ask for personal data and use it to access victims’ online banking accounts. What you Need to Know: Scammers claiming to be from “Bank” may call and say there is a fraud alert regarding suspicious account activity that they need to confirm with you. They may reference a fraudulent “pending charge” to make the call sound legitimate. They may also claim that unauthorized access to your online banking has occurred and they need to secure it. During the call, the scammer may ask you to provide your online banking user ID, password, answers to your online banking security questions, or for a one-time passcode (OTP) that was sent to your phone. Do not ever give personal information over the phone. Bank does make outbound service calls to our customers, when we call, we will NOT ask you to provide or verify your: Full Social Security number Card Personal Identification Number (PIN) One-time passcode Online banking user ID Online banking password Online banking security question answers Scammers use this information to reset account credentials and access online banking accounts. If you receive an email or text message confirming a charge on your account or payment that you did not do, please contact Bank immediately. What you Need to Do: If you receive a call requesting any of the information above, immediately, hang up and call the bank at the number listed on the banking web site. DO NOT use the number on the caller ID screen and hit redial, even if it appears legitimate. If you receive a suspicious call like this, begin to review your banking accounts daily. Security account alerts can be setup online or on the mobile app. Security alerts help you monitor your account balance and activity on your account. If you discover a fraudulent transaction on your Bank account, contact us immediately using the phone number listed on the banking web site. |
Retirement RV Dream 
I’m a little suspicious about the call I got from that Nigerian Prince the other day but he said he would confirm the details about splitting his inheritance in a future email so I guess it’s OK. Nah, nah, nah…just kidding obviously. It’s criminal (literally) how some people have taken advantage of others, especially seniors, through clever fraud schemes. Good information on what to look for!
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Yes, it is a widespread problem. More than a billion dollars was lost to fraud last year. It is very hard to get help to deal with as well.
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Last time I was at the bank a lady asked me to help check her balance. So I pushed her over. (Sorry. Old joke but couldn’t resist.)
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😄
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