SCARS Institute’s Encyclopedia of Scams™ Published Continuously for 25 Years
To Call or Not To Call: New Scam Campaign Targeting Financial Institution Customers
A Scam Warning
A SCARS Insight
Scams Evolve Into New Methods And New Platforms
Identity thieves and scammers are preying on bank, credit union members, and financial institution customers using more unconventional methods.
Instead of cold calling targets or sending a fake link to harvest confidential information, these scammers are asking you to call them.
Bitdefender Antispam Lab reports a flood of phishing emails that claim your card was locked or flagged.
Just in the past month tens of thousands of fraudulent emails urging recipients to call phony telephone numbers to resolve some issue and reactive their Credit Cards or Debit Cards.
Examples:
You can find a list of email variations in the list below:
- Credit Union Support Service: Your card has been reported. To reactivate call to 194******22.
- CU Support Service: Your card has been reported. To reactivate call to 1-248-***-***1.
- You have received a C.U. alert. CaLL now free : 1-40*-***-**44.
- CUNA Support Service: Your card has been reported. To reactivate call to 17******260.
- FCU Support Service: Your card has been reported. To reactivate call to 1248******1.
- You have received a F.C.U. alert. CaLL now free : 140******44.
- N.C.U.A. Support Service: Your card has been reported. To reactivate call to 1-760-***-**38.
- NCUA Support Service: Your card has been reported. To reactivate call to 173******74.
- Your C.U. Card been suspended. CaLL now free : 17******260 and follow instructions.
- Your C.U. card has been flagged. Call 194******22 to remove this issue.
- Your C.U. card has been frozen for the moment. Please contact 1-248-***-***1 for details
- Your NCUA card was blocked. Please contact 140******44 for unlock
Regardless of the financial institution, they will look similar.
What can happen if you call the number?
Users who call the number are likely to end up talking to an identity thief or scammer who will ask for their online banking or other financial account passwords and usernames.
The criminal might even attempt to log into your account while talking to you. If you have additional security measures enabled that require entering a verification code received via text or email, the scammer will also ask for it by making up an excuse. With this information, they can raid your bank account and steal your identity.
How to stay safe
The good news is that many individuals who receive these messages won’t necessarily have an account at the mentioned financial institution. If you have any concerns, contact your bank or financial institution by calling the support number found on the official website or the back of your card.
Don’t attempt to call the number even if you know it’s a scam. The scammers will know that your contact information is “good” and they will most likely target you with additional scams.
What your bank will never do!
While most banks and financial institutions will have email and text-based alerting systems to notify customers, there are some things your financial institution will never do:
- It will not send unsolicited emails or texts asking you to call an unknown number to resolve a security issue
- It will never ask you to give personal and sensitive information such as full Social Security numbers, passwords, PINs, verification codes, CVVs or any similar data via the phone, email or text
As a rule of thumb, you should never give out personal information to any service provider or individual who contacts you unexpectedly, especially by email or phone or text. The only time a bank customer should be providing his data is either in-person at your local branch or via the official website when applying online for a loan or credit card, or on the official phone number provided by your bank or financial institution.
Whenever you receive a suspicious email, text, or call, there are always steps you can take to safeguard your data.
Verify directly with your service provider and save a copy of the information related to the fraud attempt to share with your bank and law enforcement. By reporting malicious activity, you can help protect other members, your family, and friends from similar attacks.
You can report these to:
- reportfraud.FTC.gov
- Report the phone numbers and email addresses on www.Anyscam.com
- Report them to your national cybercrime police
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Important Information for New Scam Victims
- Please visit www.ScamVictimsSupport.org – a SCARS Website for New Scam Victims & Sextortion Victims
- Enroll in FREE SCARS Scam Survivor’s School now at www.SCARSeducation.org
- Please visit www.ScamPsychology.org – to more fully understand the psychological concepts involved in scams and scam victim recovery
If you are looking for local trauma counselors please visit counseling.AgainstScams.org or join SCARS for our counseling/therapy benefit: membership.AgainstScams.org
If you need to speak with someone now, you can dial 988 or find phone numbers for crisis hotlines all around the world here: www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines
A Note About Labeling!
We often use the term ‘scam victim’ in our articles, but this is a convenience to help those searching for information in search engines like Google. It is just a convenience and has no deeper meaning. If you have come through such an experience, YOU are a Survivor! It was not your fault. You are not alone! Axios!
A Question of Trust
At the SCARS Institute, we invite you to do your own research on the topics we speak about and publish, Our team investigates the subject being discussed, especially when it comes to understanding the scam victims-survivors experience. You can do Google searches but in many cases, you will have to wade through scientific papers and studies. However, remember that biases and perspectives matter and influence the outcome. Regardless, we encourage you to explore these topics as thoroughly as you can for your own awareness.
Statement About Victim Blaming
Some of our articles discuss various aspects of victims. This is both about better understanding victims (the science of victimology) and their behaviors and psychology. This helps us to educate victims/survivors about why these crimes happened and to not blame themselves, better develop recovery programs, and to help victims avoid scams in the future. At times this may sound like blaming the victim, but it does not blame scam victims, we are simply explaining the hows and whys of the experience victims have.
These articles, about the Psychology of Scams or Victim Psychology – meaning that all humans have psychological or cognitive characteristics in common that can either be exploited or work against us – help us all to understand the unique challenges victims face before, during, and after scams, fraud, or cybercrimes. These sometimes talk about some of the vulnerabilities the scammers exploit. Victims rarely have control of them or are even aware of them, until something like a scam happens and then they can learn how their mind works and how to overcome these mechanisms.
Articles like these help victims and others understand these processes and how to help prevent them from being exploited again or to help them recover more easily by understanding their post-scam behaviors. Learn more about the Psychology of Scams at www.ScamPsychology.org
Psychology Disclaimer:
All articles about psychology and the human brain on this website are for information & education only
The information provided in this article is intended for educational and self-help purposes only and should not be construed as a substitute for professional therapy or counseling.
While any self-help techniques outlined herein may be beneficial for scam victims seeking to recover from their experience and move towards recovery, it is important to consult with a qualified mental health professional before initiating any course of action. Each individual’s experience and needs are unique, and what works for one person may not be suitable for another.
Additionally, any approach may not be appropriate for individuals with certain pre-existing mental health conditions or trauma histories. It is advisable to seek guidance from a licensed therapist or counselor who can provide personalized support, guidance, and treatment tailored to your specific needs.
If you are experiencing significant distress or emotional difficulties related to a scam or other traumatic event, please consult your doctor or mental health provider for appropriate care and support.
Also read our SCARS Institute Statement about Professional Care for Scam Victims – click here to go to our ScamsNOW.com website.
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