I learned this morning a dear friends elderly relatives received a number of calls from someone claiming to be from their bank. I won’t go into all the issues; however there are some things everyone should be aware of. BTW: This not only applies to banks, this applies to any call you receive (Bank, IRS, Police, Insurance Company). There are a lot of criminals out there, please, don’t be a victim. For those who don’t know me, I spent twelve years at Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) I know a bit about this.
- Remember the criminals top priority is to steal from you.
- Your bank will never call you and ask for personal information. Sometimes this is hidden with, “we must verify your identity.” Bottom line, your bank will not do this. This is a trick to steal from you.
- It is very easy to spoof a phone number. Do not trust the phone number that is displayed.
- If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from your bank, get their Name, Phone number, and department. Then call the bank at a phone number you know is good and ask to be connected.
- If the bank can’t find that person, ask to speak with the fraud department. They can investigate.
- These call will try to create a sense of urgency, that you must talk to them now. Do not fall for it. This is just another trick criminals use to steal from you.
- Last piece of advice, Hang up the phone and block the number.