Tips To Protect Against Bank Account Scams

Banking scams have become a major problem for banks, law enforcement officials, and especially for consumers. Criminals have become very sophisticated in the way they commit banking fraud and many people are getting scammed out of their hard earned money and good credit scores.

If you get scammed, immediately file a report with your local police department. Talk with a bank representative and report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Although you may take the necessary steps in reporting the crime and doing what it takes to resolve the issues, you may still be liable for any losses that you incur.

There are ways to protect your checking, savings, and other bank accounts from falling into the hands of scam artists.

• Never give out personal information over the internet. Banks will not ask you to update or confirm your account information online.
• If you receive phone calls asking about your bank accounts or if they want personal information, ask them for a number that you can use to return the call. Then call your bank or go into your local branch to ascertain the reasons for the unsolicited calls.
• If you think that there is suspicious activity on any of your bank accounts, contact your bank immediately with all the details.
• Contact your bank and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) if you continue receiving suspicious telephone calls. The email address is reportphising@antiphishing.org.
• Install anti-virus software on your computer and never open emails that you are not sure of.
• Regularly check your credit report and question anything that is out of the ordinary.

The information listed below is provided by the Federal Trade Commission:

You can file a complaint with the FTC using the online ID Theft Complaint Form; you can call the FTC's Identity Theft Hotline, toll-free: 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338); TTY: 1-866-653-4261; or you can write to the Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580. A printed version of your complaint is available only if you file your complaint online.

Please do not send the FTC your printed ID Theft Complaint Form, police report, credit reports, financial information, or any other documents relating to your case. The FTC does not keep these materials on file or forward them to law enforcement agencies. If a law enforcement agency decides to open an investigation on your case, they will contact you directly and let you know what documents they need.

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