Spoofed Calls
Imagine you’re relaxing at home one evening and your mobile phone rings. The caller ID says “MidFirst Bank.” You answer, and the caller says they’re from the MidFirst Bank fraud department. They correctly identify you by name as a MidFirst Bank customer and say they’re calling to ask about an unusual pending transaction.
Your heart skips a beat, thinking about all the possibilities. “What could it be? Did someone steal my checkbook? Did I leave my wallet somewhere?” You listen as the caller asks if you recently initiated a Zelle® transfer to an individual whose name you’ve never heard before. “No,” you quickly reply, “that wasn’t me.” The caller rephrases the question; “You don’t know anyone by that name?”
“No. I definitely don’t know that person. Please block the transaction,” you reply with increasing anxiety. The caller says it’s no problem, they can stop the transaction, and it will only take a moment. You breathe a sigh of relief, thankful that your bank is looking out for you. You hear keyboard clicks in the background, and the caller then asks you to confirm some information to verify your identity.
They ask you to confirm the expiration date of your debit card. You think to yourself that it seems like an odd question, but no one can do anything with just that piece of information, so why not? You provide the expiration date. Then, they ask you to confirm the last eight digits of your debit card number. Now, you’re hearing alarm bells. You recall that you read somewhere that your bank would never call you and ask for your account number. You decide to play it safe and tell the caller that you don’t feel comfortable providing that information.
They reply by saying they understand and that it’s smart to be cautious. They continue, saying you should check the caller ID and see that they’re calling from MidFirst Bank’s official phone number. You tell the caller that you’d prefer to call the bank directly just to confirm what they say is true. The caller suddenly hangs up.
In this scenario, you’ve successfully thwarted a scammer’s attempt to gain access to your account. These types of calls have become increasingly common. Scammers can learn your name and where you bank any number of ways, from checking your mailbox, hacking your email, studying your social media profiles, buying stolen data from online breaches, or even digging through your trash.
Your best defense is to always remember that MidFirst Bank will never call you and ask for your private account information, online banking password or debit/credit card PIN. Additionally, caller IDs can be faked to show you any phone number in the world. If you ever receive a call from someone claiming to be from MidFirst Bank and they ask for any private information, do not provide the caller with your information. Simply hang up and call 888.MIDFIRST 888.MIDFIRST (888.643.3477). Our friendly representatives will be able to help you confirm the security of your accounts.