Your hard-earned money should stay just that – YOURS! We have seen an uptick in a few scams, and we want you to be on the lookout for fraudsters who are looking to steal your money.
Pay Yourself Scam
There are recent reports of fraudsters posing as a financial institution, trusted individual or company, and stating that an account in your name has suspicious activity. Scammers will then request customers to pay themselves by transferring money from one account to the other, either via text message, Zelle or online wire transfer, to “verify” a transaction. However, fraudsters will often provide inaccurate information for you to send to, so while you believe to be sending money to yourself, you are actually sending money to a scammer. Once you send the money, it is stolen from your account, without any means to get it back.
Utility Scam
Another scam that has been going around is the utility scam. This is where a fraudster will pose as a utility company representative, call you, and claim that you have an overdue bill that needs payment immediately. Fraudsters pressure victims into giving them access to funds, claiming that electric or gas services will be shut off if there is no immediate payment.
Remote Access Scam
Fraudsters are also attempting to gain remote access to your devices in order to steal information. Scammers will pretend to be an Amazon, Microsoft or Apple support specialist and insist that they need access to your computer, laptop or phone in order to perform maintenance or reverse a charge on your account. Scammers will then send a link to click or app to download, so that they can have access to a device, but this is really a means for them to steal your personal information, including your bank account.
Safety Tips
- Never provide your personal account number, PIN or payment information in response to an unsolicited request, whether it's over the phone or over the Internet.
- Never click on a link provided in an email you believe is fraudulent. It may contain a virus that can contaminate your computer, or in this case, give fraudsters remote access to your device.
- Don't be intimidated by an email or caller who suggests dire consequences if you do not immediately provide or verify financial information. Fraudsters want to create a sense of urgency so that you will feel more pressured to give up personal information or do something. If you are contacted by someone claiming to be a representative of a company, and they are requesting immediate payment, hang up and call that company directly.
Blackhawk Bank is Here to Protect You
Here at Blackhawk Bank, we will never initiate a call and ask for sensitive, personal identifying information. If you are ever unsure of the authenticity of a call, disconnect the call and contact Client Services directly or visit your favorite Blackhawk Bank branch location.
Author:
Jessica Hendon
VP Physical & Information Security