Cybersecurity

WARNING ABOUT SCAM EMAILS

Dear Customers:

If you get an unexpected email claiming to be a transaction receipt, and you do not recognize the transaction, please DO NOT call the phone number in that suspicious email. It is almost certainly a scammer sending out the same email to thousands of people, trying to trick people into sending them money. Please call the Bank instead if you have questions about a suspicious transaction in an email.

Over the last few months, we have heard from quite a few customers who have received fraudulent emails, usually detailing some fake transaction. Often the email contains a receipt claiming to be a successful transaction, and also gives you a phone number to call in case you have any questions about the transaction. I repeat: DO NOT CALL THE NUMBER. Call the Bank instead if you have questions.

The goal of these emails is usually to get you to call the scammer to tell them you do not recognize the transaction, and then, in order to get a “refund” you will need to give them financial information like an account number or card number, or they may ask you to open a remote support session so that they can jump onto your computer to “help you”. Once they are on your computer, they will ask you to log in to your bank, and then they will either manipulate the HTML on your screen or even transfer money between two of your accounts, so that it appears that the scammer has “sent you a refund”. Then they will claim they sent you too much money on accident, and they will want you to send the money back to them. They may ask you to wire them the money, or use Western Union or photos of gift cards to send them money.

The best thing to do if you get an unrecognized transaction email or text message or phone call is to call the Bank, not the scammers. Even if you DO have business with the company listed but did not authorize the transaction, it is best not to call using the number in the email, but instead call them using a number you already have access to.

Similarly, if a security warning ever pops up suddenly on your computer screen, and tells you to call a particular number, that is also most likely a scammer phone number. In that case, it may be best to simply reboot your computer.

Also, if you have friends or family who are not aware of common internet scams and email scams, please warn them too. Feel free to forward this message if you find it helpful.

Another very helpful website to learn about scams is called BANKS NEVER ASK THAT.
To visit their educational website, you can search BANKS NEVER ASK THAT, or click on www.banksneveraskthat.com .

Stay safe out there.

Raymond Cherry
Senior Vice President
03-19-2024