Banks in the News – Opportunities for Scammers
The recent failure of banks in the news has provided new opportunities for scammers to target bank customers. A large influx of fraudulent and suspicious activity is taking place, nearly double the activity of last year. Beware of texts or emails that say they are coming from your bank or lender. Do not respond to these messages and call your bank to verify.
Beware of Phishing Attempts
Email phishing activities continue to be one of the most profitable for scammers. Merchants State Bank will NEVER request your personal information via phone or e-mail. If you receive a call or e-mail asking to provide personal or sensitive information, do not respond. Even if the call or website seems genuine, do not continue. Please contact your local Merchants State Bank location immediately.
Computer Support Scams
Have you ever been working on your computer and a popup suddenly appears saying your computer is infected with a virus? This is usually a scam! Do not call the phone number on the screen, even if you can’t do anything on your computer. Call a trusted computer support person for assistance on what you should do next.
Beware of Social Engineering Over the Phone
Vishing combines the techniques of social engineering and phone calls to obtain sensitive information from victims. This particular technique uses a pre-recorded message to attempt to have the customer respond with debit card numbers and the associated PINs. We would like to remind you that we will not ask for card numbers or PINs over the phone and we would encourage you to contact us if you feel you might be a victim of this scam.
