These top 3 phishing scams are full of red flags:
Phone Call
- Would your bank ever call you directly to verify your account number or ask to provide personal information? No!
- Similarly, your bank would also never call and ask you to verify your password or PIN.
- If you’re ever in doubt that the caller is legitimate, just hang up and call the bank directly at the number on the back of your debit card.
- 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.
- 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, when they are not.
- Fraudulent emails pretending to be your bank will often have poor grammar and typos.
- Check that the email address of the sender is authentic. If the domain name (what comes after the @ symbol) looks suspicious or unfamiliar, that could be a sign that it’s not real. If you are unsure, contact your bank directly with contact information that you trust.
Always be wary if someone…
- Asks you to pay for something through unusual payment methods like gift cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrencies.
- If you sent money to a scammer, your money might already be gone. No matter how you paid, it’s always worth asking the company you used to send the money, if there’s a way to get it back.
- If you haven’t paid yet, double-check if it is legit before sending any money.
- Asks you for bank details, passwords or access to your computer. Contact the company using a phone number or website you know is real — not the information in the email.
- Pressures you into quickly making a decision or buying something. Report the message and don’t respond or click any links they provided.
To report phishing attempts—or to report that you’ve been a victim—file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
We're here to help!
Whenever you have financial questions or needs, we hope you’ll think of us first. Our team is dedicated to offering the best in customer service, plus, you can call us at 616.559.7000 or chat with us online anytime, day or night!