Every day, thousands of people fall victim to fraudulent emails, texts and calls from scammers pretending to be their bank, a loved one, the government or law enforcement. And in this time of expanded use of online and mobile banking, the problem is only growing. Educating yourself is one of the most effective ways to prevent falling victim to phishing scams.
These criminals are skilled at tricking you— convincing you to trust them, pay them and act fast. At KS StateBank, we’re committed to helping you spot scams. We’ve joined the American Bankers Association and banks across the country in a nationwide effort to help you realize when you’re under a scammer’s trance and snap out of it so you avoid losing your money.
We want every bank customer to become a scam-spotting pro — and stop these criminals in their tracks. If something feels off, stop, take a breath and trust yourself.
Red Flags to Look Out For
- You’re pressured to log into or send money with payment apps.
- You’re contacted out of the blue, asked to act immediately and keep it a secret.
- You get a text that includes a suspicious link.
- You’re emailed an attachment that you weren’t expecting.
- You’re asked for personal information like your PIN number, passwords or Social Security number.
Top Phishing Scams
- 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.
- Email: Use caution with emails that ask you to click a suspicious link or provide personal information.
- Phone Call: Would your bank ever call you to verify your account number? No! 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!
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 BanksNeverAskThat.com.
If you receive a suspicious email or text:
- Do not download any attachments in the message. Attachments may contain malware such as viruses, worms or spyware.
- Do not click links that appear in the message. Links in phishing messages direct you to fraudulent websites.
- Do not reply to the sender. Ignore any requests from the sender and do not call any phone numbers provided in the message.
- Report it. Help fight scammers by reporting them. Forward suspected phishing emails to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@apwg.org. If you get a phishing text message, forward it to SPAM (7726). Then, report the phishing attack to the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint.
If you receive a suspicious phone call:
- If you receive a phone call that seems to be a phishing attempt hang up or end the call. Be aware that area codes can be misleading. If your Caller ID displays a local area code, this does not guarantee that the caller is local.
- Do not respond to the caller’s requests. Financial institutions and legitimate companies will never call you to request your personal information. Never give personal information to the incoming caller.
If you feel you've been the victim of a scam and may have provided personal or important financial information, contact us immediately. Be sure to include any relevant details, such as whether the suspicious caller attempted to impersonate your bank and whether any personal or financial information was provided to the suspicious caller.