Can you Spot a Phishing Scam?
Every day, thousands of people fall victim to fraudulent texts, emails, and phone calls from scammers pretending to be their bank. The Federal Trade Commission’s report on fraud estimates that American consumers lost a staggering $8.8 billion to phishing scams and other fraud in 2022—an increase of 44% over 2021.
Online scams aren’t so scary when you know what to look for. At Regional Missouri Bank, we are committed to helping you spot scams. We have joined with the American Bankers Association and banks across the country in a nationwide effort to fight phishing—one scam at a time.
What is Phishing?
Phishing is when a criminal pretends to be a legitimate institution or person and contacts you by text message, email, or phone calls in attempt to lure you into giving them sensitive information like passwords and account numbers.
We want bank customers to become pros at spotting phishing scams and stop bank impostors in their tracks. It starts with these four words: Banks Never Ask That. When you know something sounds suspicious, you are less likely to be fooled.
Here are four phishing scams to watch out for:
- Text Message: If you receive a text message from someone claiming to be your bank asking you to sign in, or offer up your personal information, it is a scam. Never click on a link or attachment from an unknown number. Do not respond and delete the text message.
- Email: Watch out for emails that ask you to click a suspicious link or provide personal information. The sender may claim to be someone from your bank, but it is a scam. Banks Never Ask That. Never click on a link or attachment from an unknown email address. Do not respond and mark the email as spam.
- Phone Call: Would your bank ever call you to verify your account number? No! Banks Never Ask That. If you are ever in doubt that the caller is legitimate, just hang up and call the bank directly at a number you trust.
- Payment Apps: Beware of text messages from someone claiming to be your bank saying your account has been hacked. The scammer may ask you to send money to a new account they have created for you, but that is a scam! Do not respond and delete the message. Banks would never ask you to send money to them through a payment app.
You have probably seen some of these scams before, but that does not stop a scammer from trying. During October, we have been sharing resources across our social media platforms to help you best protect yourself. Be sure to check those out and follow along for other tips! For more resources check out https://www.banksneveraskthat.com/and be sure to share the webpage with your friends and family!
What’s Your Scam Score? Take five minutes to become a scam spotter pro by taking the #BanksNeverAskThat Scam Quiz. Share your score on social media to encourage your friends and family to test their scam savviness, too. The more scam spotters out there, the harder it is for phishing criminals to catch their next victim!