Because October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we are encouraging our customers to remember four important words when it comes to inquiries on their financial accounts: Banks Never Ask That.
Every day, thousands of people fall for fraudulent emails, texts, and calls from scammers pretending to be a bank. The communication is designed to trick you into providing confidential information (like account numbers, passwords, PINs, or birthdays) either online or over the phone to someone imitating a bank employee.
Pro Tip #3: Protect your confidential info.
If you receive a phone call that seems to be a phishing attempt hang up or end the call. Be aware that area codes can be misleading. If your Caller ID displays a local area code, this does not guarantee that the caller is local.
Most importantly, do not respond to the caller’s requests. Financial institutions and legitimate companies will never call you to request your personal information. Never give personal information to the incoming caller.
Our goal is to raise awareness about phishing scams and help you think twice before clicking a link or giving up personal information by email, text or over the phone. Education is one of the most effective ways to prevent them from falling victim to these scams.
For more tips on how to keep phishing criminals at bay, keep an eye out for pro tips from Horizon each week this month.