“Banks Never Ask That” Campaign Educates Consumers on the Perils of Phishing Attacks
Zions Bank Press Release
Trick-or-treaters aren’t the only ones who wear costumes. Scammers love to dress up as well. One of their favorite disguises? Pretending to be your bank.
Consumers lost $5.8 billion to phishing schemes and other fraud in 2021, a 70% jump from 2020, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
In honor of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Zions Bank is joining the industry-wide “Banks Never Ask That” campaign to educate consumers about the persistent threat of phishing scams.
“It’s important to remember that there are some things your bank will never ask you,” said Mel Hugentobler, manager of Zions Bank in Castle Dale and Huntington. “If you receive an email, text or phone call asking for confidential information, consider it a red flag.”
Criminals use phishing scams to trick consumers into giving up their personal information, like a bank account number or social security number. They may use email, text message or a phone call to “phish” for this type of information. Victims of phishing scams can lose hundreds, even thousands, of dollars.
Hugentobler offers the following tips on how to spot a phishing scam.
- 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 will not ask you to confirm personal details or send passwords through text.
- Beware of emails that ask you to click on a suspicious link or provide personal information. The sender may claim to be someone from your bank or other legitimate organization, but it’s a scam.
- Your bank will never call you to verify your account number. If you’re ever in doubt that the caller is legitimate, hang up and call the bank directly at a number you trust.
- If you receive a suspicious email or text, do not download any attachments or click on links and do not call any phone numbers provided in the message.
- Report phishing attacks to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
More tips are available at www.BanksNeverAskThat.com.