Most Americans experience attempted scams every week – calls from unrecognized numbers, texts pretending to be someone else, emails urging that you are just one link-click away from a surprise gift. It’s so commonplace that many of us are almost desensitized to them. However, that mentality is what can lower our guard and actually make us susceptible to more clever fraud tactics.
In the next article in our Banking 101 series, we help you recognize common and uncommon scam ploys and give you tips on what to do (and not do) when faced with fraud. If you would like to read any of our previous Banking 101 articles, click below.
Preying on Panic
Creating panic or urgency can spur you to act on a scam before your common sense can prevail. Receiving a text or email with a message like “Your account has been locked” or “This is your final warning” scares you just enough to do something rash, like click on link that you shouldn’t. This false sense of urgency should immediately throw up a red flag about the legitimacy of the claim.
If you are concerned that the warning could be true, you can check by calling the business the message claims to be from and verifying the accuracy.
Spoofing the System
It is becoming more common for scammers to make it look like they are calling from a legitimate place of business using Caller ID. This is called “spoofing” and even Mabrey Bank hasn’t been immune to this practice. Scammers have called our customers before with “Mabrey Bank” pulling up on the Caller ID. If this does occur, you can always say, “I will call you back using the number on your website.” Any legitimate service representative for a business will understand and allow you to do so without complaint.
Keep in mind that Mabrey Bank will not call you and ask for personal information.
Goodbye Grammar
Official communication from organizations, like the one you are reading now, are often written or typed by communications professionals. At the very least, they are penned by those who take pride in their work and are not prone to sloppy or bad grammar.
If you notice an email or text containing several misspellings or punctuation errors, it is a strong red flag for a scam. Also, be sure to check out the email address its coming from. Often those can be slightly misspelled addresses.
A Sensitive Subject
Another warning for a scam is the ask for sensitive information. If someone on the phone is requesting your date of birth, social security number, account or PIN numbers, etc., that could be a clue for illegitimacy.
Remember, if you are unsure, you can always call back at a number you trust.
Heed Your Hunch
Lastly, always trust your gut. If something feels off to you about a text, email, phone call, voicemail, or any other message, it likely is fraudulent. Take a pause before acting and verify if the message is real or a scam. It usually takes less than 60 seconds to verify a request. It will take much longer than that to recover lost funds or personal information.
Remember, when in doubt, reach out. Mabrey Bank customer service representatives are here to help you keep your money and information safe and secure. If you ever have a question, we can be reached during business hours at (888) 272-8866.