Can you spot a phishing scam?
October 19, 2022
Every day, thousands of people fall victim to fraudulent emails, texts and calls from scammers pretending to be their bank. The Federal Trade Commission’s report on fraud estimates that American consumers lost a staggering $5.8 billion to phishing scams and other fraud in 2021—an increase of more than 70 percent over 2020.
It’s time to put scammers in their place.
Online scams aren’t so scary when you know what to look for. We’re committed to helping you spot them to keep your information — and money — safe. We’ve joined with the American Bankers Association and banks across the country in a nationwide effort to fight phishing — one scam at a time.
We want everyone to become a pro at spotting a phishing scam — and stop bank impostors in their tracks. It starts with these four words: Banks Never Ask That. Because when you know something sounds suspicious, you’ll be less likely to be fooled.
These four phishing scams are full of red flags:
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’s a scam. Banks Never Ask That.
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’s a scam. Banks Never Ask That.
Phone Call
Would your bank ever call you to verify your account number. No! Banks Never Ask That. If you’re 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’ve created for you, but that’s a scam! Banks Never Ask That.
You’ve probably seen some of these scams before. But that doesn’t stop a scammer from trying. For tips, videos and an interactive game to help you keep phishing criminals at bay, visit www.BanksNeverAskThat.com. And be sure to share this information with your friends and family.
