Banks Never Ask That

Written by Nathan Woolard

            According to the Federal Trade Commission, Americans lost $1.9 billion to phishing and other fraud in 2019.  Phishing is a fraudulent attempt to obtain confidential information via phone call, text, or email.  Criminals will imitate legitimate businesses, including banks, to trick you into giving them personal information.  October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and the American Bankers Association has launched a #BanksNeverAskThat campaign to arm consumers with the information they need to keep their finances safe.  The campaign stresses the following points:

• Banks will never call, email, or text you to request the following information:
  • PIN number
  • Password
  • Answers to security questions
  • Account number
  • Social Security Number
  • Birthdate
  • Address
• Banks will not pressure you to stay on the line or threaten you with negative consequences if you end the call or refuse to give the requested information.
• Banks will not ask you to click on links or open attachments.

            What should you do if you receive calls, texts, or emails like this?  Hang up, delete the text, and trash the email because #BanksNeverAskThat!

            When in doubt if a communication is legitimate, or if you feel you may have been the victim of a scam, contact your financial institution directly at their publicly listed customer service phone number.  This number can often be found on the back of your credit or debit card.

            The contact number of Success Bank is 641-664-BANK.  Our website is success.bank and our staff members all have email addresses ending in .bank.  When you go to our website or receive emails that appear to be from Success Bank, always verify that the .bank is there!  If it’s not .bank, it’s not us!

            Don’t let yourself be the victim of a scammer.  The next time you receive a sketchy email, text, or phone call asking for personal information, remind yourself of these four words: Banks Never Ask That!