We Don't Ask That header.

We Don't Ask That

Scammers are always searching for ways to take advantage of innocent, unsuspecting people. Stay up-to-date on common scams and ways to protect yourself.

Every day, thousands of people fall for fraudulent phone calls, text messages, and emails, from criminals pretending to be from your bank, insurance agency, the government, and even family members.

The best defense we have against these criminals is to stay informed and be aware of what they’re doing.

Stay Alert! We Don't Ask for Your:

  • Account Number
  • Passwords of any kind
  • One-Time Passcode
  • Full Social Security Number
  • PIN Number
  • Debit or Credit Card 3-Digit Security Code or Card Expiration Date
  • Online Banking Secret Word or Password

These criminals try to create believable situations to try to convince you to give them sensitive information or money.

Scammers are evolving and taking advantage of major events, new technology, and new products or services, to create believable stories to convince you to give them money or share personal details.

Beware of These Common Scam Attempts:

Fraud’s not always obvious – criminals will attempt many different types of scams. The majority of these scams are framed around some sort of emergency, or need you to act quickly. These criminals are often personable, friendly, and unsuspecting. Here are a few examples of timely scam attempts:

Transferring money over phone.

Bank Employee Scam

These criminals are posing as bank employees, and asking questions in an attempt to access your online banking. The scammers will ask you to provide a confirmation code, allowing them to transfer money directly out of your bank accounts.

Text alert on a mobile phone.

Text Message Scams

Criminals will send a text message pretending to be from your bank’s fraud department, asking you to verify a transaction attempt. Once you reply, the fraudster calls you, saying they need information to reset your account and to provide them a text code you received.

Private documents being fished out of a computer

Be Aware of Phishing Scams

From emails to phone calls, scammers will try to obtain your personal information including Social Security number, passwords, or account information by pretending to be from a legitimate source.

Suspicious man stealing files from a computer

Avoid Cyber Attacks

Usernames can be easy for fraudsters to guess, and oftentimes people use the same password for multiple accounts. Use multifactor authentication and a trusted password manager to protect your online accounts.

Hacker standing over computer.

Tech Support Scam

Criminals pose as a technology representative, and offer to fix non-existent computer issues by gaining remote access to devices and sensitive information.

Confused grandparent on her phone.

Grandparent Scam

The scammer poses as a panicked grandchild or family member in need of a large amount of money to pay for an emergency, such as a hospital bill, bail money or needing to leave a foreign country. They often plea for you to not tell anyone, especially the grandchild’s parents.

Broken piggy bank

Investment Scams

Scammers pose as someone they’re not and brag about their extravagant lifestyle and how they’ve built their wealth through cryptocurrency, urging you to open an account. They use fake documents to show high returns. Slowly, they’ll encourage you to invest more. When you try to withdraw, your funds disappear leaving you without your hard-earned savings.

Ways to Protect Yourself

  • Never give out your

    Online Banking password, share a one-time passcode, PIN number, full Social Security Number, or identifying questions for logging into your Online Banking.

  • Resist the urge to act immediately

    - scammers will try to create a sense of urgency to distract you from questioning them or the situation.

  • Verify the caller’s identity

    - ask questions only that person would know. If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from Central Bank asking you for personal information, and you did not initiate any type of inquiry, hang up and contact us directly using a trusted phone number. Please see below for information to include when reporting a scam.

  • Do not give out personal or sensitive information

    including passwords, secret words, or verification codes.

  • Be careful if sending

    cash, gift cards, or wire money transfers to anyone you don't know.

  • Make sure all computer anti-virus, security software, and malware protections are up-to-date

    - use reputable computer protection software, anti-virus, and firewall protections.

  • Received the “Grandparent Scam”?

    - Contact your family members directly to verify their safety.

  • Trust your instincts

    - we strongly encourage you to hang up the phone on any interaction that doesn’t seem right. Remember the classic saying, “If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t!”

To File a Report:

What to Include When Reporting a Scam:

  • Name(s) of the scammer or company
  • Dates of contact
  • Methods of communication
  • Phone numbers, email addresses, mailing addresses, and websites the scammer used
  • Where you sent any funds, including wire transfer and prepaid cards
  • Description of your interaction, and any instructions the scammer gave you

Sources:

Common Scams and Crimes, Federal Bureau of Investigation

Grandparent Scams in the Age of Coronavirus, Federal Trade Commission

COVID-19 vaccines are in the pipeline. Scammers won’t be far behind, Federal Trade Commission