PART II: BANK IMPOSTER SCAMS

The bank employee imposter scam has been around for awhile, but it continues to be used by criminals for one very good reason. It works!!! This is how it usually plays out. A criminal, having obtained your sign on information through a data breach or other means, impersonates an employee from your bank. The criminal will usually call or text you claiming that suspicious activity has been detected on your account, saying he, or she, will send you an access code that you can text back or repeat over the phone to verify your identity.
The criminal then uses your information to sign on to online banking and prompts the access code to be sent to your mobile device. If you provide the code, you may enable the criminal to access your account and perform fraudulent transactions, including sending money.
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What you need to be aware of

• Don't assume that just because a number pops up on your caller ID or a text reads "Chase Bank", "Wells Fargo", or any other bank, big or small, that it's actually someone calling from that bank. It's so, so easy to spoof a phone number, we in the private investigator world do it all the time, and criminals are well familiar with the technique. 
• Know that all banks will only send you a code when prompted by an action that you’ve initiated, such as signing on to online banking, sending money, or when you call them directly. They are never going to initiate it without first having some type of interaction with you. If you're suspicious at all tell them you'll call them back, then look up the number online and call it directly. 
• Remember, if it seems suspicious or out of the ordinary, it's probably a criminal trying to separate you from some of your hard-earned money.

Have you been a victim of a Bank Imposter scam or a potential Bank Imposter scam? Call one of our Colorado Springs Private Investigator to discuss what you can do about it.