Your Financial Life
Can You Spot a Phishing Scam?
3 minute read time
Every day, thousands of people fall victim to fraudulent emails, texts and calls from scammers pretending to be their bank. And in this time of expanded use of online and mobile banking, phishing attacks continue to rise. In 2022, thousands of Americans lost a staggering $8.8 billion to phishing scams and other fraud.
It’s time to put scammers in their place and arm yourself with knowledge. We are committed to helping you spot phishing scams as an extra layer of protection for your accounts. We’ve joined with the American Bankers Association and banks nationwide 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 four simple words: Banks Never Ask That.
Phishing Scams and Their 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.
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
Your bank will never call and ask for your account number, PIN, social security number or one-time passcode. 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.
Person to Person 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.
If you receive a text message, email or phone call from someone claiming to be your bank asking you to sign in, provide personal information or send money to a new account, it’s a scam. Banks Never Ask That.
For tips, videos and an interactive quiz to help you keep phishing criminals at bay, visit www.BanksNeverAskThat.com.
Act now to protect your hard-earned money against phishing scams and become scam-smart today.
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