Fraud Tips

What is a Scam?

A scam is a dishonest scheme designed to trick you into giving away money, personal information, or access to your accounts. Scammers often use convincing stories, fake offers, impersonation, urgency, or fear to gain your trust and pressure you into acting quickly.

Scammers may contact you by phone, text message, email, social media, or through a website. They may pretend to be your bank, a government agency, a business, a friend, or a family member.

How Do I Know If It Is a Scam?

While scams can take many forms, there are several common warning signs to watch for:

• You're pressured to act immediately. Scammers don't want you to have time to think, ask questions, or verify their story.
• You're told to keep the situation secret. A scammer may tell you not to talk to your family, your bank, or anyone else.
• You're asked to send money upfront. Be cautious when someone demands payment before providing a product, service, prize, or other benefit.
• You're asked to use an unusual payment method. Scammers may request gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, cash, or certain peer-to-peer payment apps because these payments can be difficult to recover.
• Someone asks for sensitive information. Be especially cautious if you're asked for passwords, PINs, Social Security numbers, account numbers, or security codes.
• Something feels too good to be true. Unexpected prizes, guaranteed returns, unbelievable deals, or urgent opportunities can be signs of a scam.

Banks Will Never Ask You That!

Your bank will never ask you to provide sensitive information through an unexpected email or text message, and you should be cautious about unsolicited calls asking for account information.

Take a quiz and test your scam spotting skills at Banks Never Ask That.com from the American Bankers Association.

Common Types of Scams

Learn how to recognize some of the most common scams:

• Phishing - Fraudulent emails, text messages, or websites designed to steal information.
• Check Washing and Fake Check Scams - Scams involving altered checks or counterfeit checks.
• Card Cracking
• Money Mule Scams
• Ransomware
• Imposter Scams
• Online and Social Media Scams

How Can I Protect Myself From Fraud?

In addition to being aware of common types of fraud, you can also follow the following guidelines to keep yourself safe online:

• Be Wary of Suspicious Links. Don't click unexpected links in emails or text messages. If you receive a message that appears to be from your bank, contact the bank using a phone number or website you already know is legitimate.
• Keep your devices updated. Turn on automatic updates for your operating system, web browser, apps, and security software.
• Use strong, unique passwords. Consider using a password manager to help create and securely store passwords.
• Keep personal information personal! Hackers can use social media profiles to figure out your passwords and answer those security questions in the password reset tools. Lock down your privacy settings and avoid posting things like birthdays, addresses, mother's maiden name, and so on.
• Secure your internet connection. Use a password-protected home Wi-Fi network. Be cautious when accessing sensitive financial information over public Wi-Fi.
• Shop safely online. Before entering payment information, check the website address and make sure you are on the legitimate website of the business you intend to visit.

What Should I Do If I Think I've Been Scammed?

If you think you have fallen victim to fraud, please visit our Suspected Fraud page for guidelines on what to do next.