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The digital age has allowed Americans to transact business at their fingertips, from the comforts of their couch. Never has banking or shopping been more convenient — nor made us more vulnerable to the threat of fraudsters trying to steal our personal information. And our money.
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You might have been on the receiving end of an email, text message or call from someone purporting to represent your bank, needing information to right a wrong with your account. It very likely wasn’t a bank representative, but rather a “phishing” scheme, which is a type of fraud designed to get you to spill personal details.
The Federal Trade Commission said it received in 2020 more than 2.1 million reports of fraud from consumers, who reported losses of more than $3.3 billion.
But how can you determine if it really is your bank trying to get in touch with you or whether a scammer is trying to access your confidential information? Read on for tips, including those from the American Banking Association, which runs its #BanksNeverAskThat campaign to help keep consumers safe.
