Protect yourself from telephone fraud
Roseville, Calif. – Protect yourself against live or automated fraudulent calls with these important steps
Telephone fraud occurs when live or automated calls, appearing to be from a legitimate company, are received asking the recipient to provide, verify or update their personal or account information.
“An actual bank would never call customers via telephone or cell phone to request personal information such as bank account numbers, debit or credit card numbers, expiration dates or personal identification numbers unless a customer initiates the call,” said Jeff Yielding, Vice President, First Bank Client Contact Center. “If you receive a call that that appears to be from your bank requesting you to provide or validate personal information, do not respond.”
With more phone scams targeting bank customers nationwide, the following are some additional measures to help you combat telephone banking fraud:
- Protect your personal information, account numbers, User ID & password, card numbers and PINs. Use caution when providing this information to persons/entities over the phone.
- Never give your debit or credit card numbers over the phone or Internet unless you have a trusted relationship with the person or company or you have initiated contact.
- Bank representatives may call you regarding activity on your account or you may be contacted through our automated systems to verify transaction activity on your account(s), such as debit card or online banking activity. For your protection, your bank may ask you to verify your zip code and transaction activity.
If you have received a live or automated call, you should call your local bank or bank customer service center immediately and file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
First Bank firstbanks.com is one of the largest privately owned banks in the country with $5.93 billion in assets and 111 locations in Missouri, Illinois, and California.Â
