As part of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month this month (Oct.), the American Bankers Association and banks across the US are hoping to raise awareness of the tactics used by scammers to get your personal information.
The #BanksNeverAskThat Anti-Phishing Campaign is a coordinated, industry-wide effort to educate consumers about the persistent threat of phishing scams. The organization will share tips and videos via social media channels to help consumers identify fake bank communications asking for sensitive information like passwords and social security numbers.
BankWest Pierre Regional President Andy Hubbart says scammers use a variety of methods to try to persuade or scare you into giving them your person information.
“Phishing attempts are at an all-time high and scammers are targeting consumers from every direction—by text, phone and email. Education and awareness are key to helping customers spot a scam, so we hope to help them stay one step ahead of the scammers.”
The Federal Trade Commission estimates that consumers lost $5.8 billion to phishing and other fraud in 2021, an increase of more than 70% compared to 2020.
Here are a few tips to protect yourself from phishing attempts:
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Never change a password, issue a payment or perform other sensitive tasks based on an unsolicited request.
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Never give out personal information such as account numbers, usernames, one time access codes, passwords or Social Security numbers.
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Beware of messages or calls requesting any sort of urgent response. Do not respond to pressure to take any sort of immediate action.
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If you do receive a phone call, email or text message requesting sensitive information, hang up and call your bank directly to verify whether the request is legitimate. Use a phone number from a trusted source or directory rather than caller ID to verify you are calling a legitimate source.
For more information about phishing scams and how to stop fraudsters in their tracks, visit www.BanksNeverAskThat.com.
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