SCAM ALERT: Smishing (texting), phishing (email), and vishing (phone calls) attacks in the Fox Valley area

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08.09.2022 Written by Fox Communities

All scam attempts have a similar theme: fraudulently informing members that suspicious transactions on their account have occurred and that the member needs to take action.

EXAMPLES OF WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING

  • The fraudulent phone calls ask members where they bank. Shortly after the phone call, the member receives a spoofed phone call claiming to be from their financial institution. The caller asks the member the same questions often used to verify identity, information that could then be used to call in and spoof a member asking to change email addresses, phone numbers for secure access codes, etc., needed for a digital banking account takeover.
  • The fraudulent text and email messages tell members to call 855-203-1880 (NOTE: this number has been changing, so be wary of any unfamiliar number) to avoid having their card restricted.


WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THIS SCAM

  • Use Caution: If you receive any calls, texts, or emails informing you of suspicious activity on your accounts, verify the source of the communication with your financial institution before responding. It is easy to spoof caller ID and email sender information, so always be cautious.
  • Report Attempts: If you get one of these calls, texts, or emails, report it to your financial institution as soon as possible. Gather as much information about the call, text, or email as possible, including the verbiage of the message, the text ID, the number the message tells you to call, and anything else that seems pertinent.  Fox reports all these incidents to the authorities to aid in the investigation.


Rest assured that Fox has state-of-the-art security measures in place to help keep your accounts safe. Fox wants our members to be aware of these scam attempts because, while they’re targeting more than just Fox members, we want to ensure everyone’s finances and identity are kept safe.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our friendly Fox team or come see us at any of our Fox locations. You can also learn more on our Identity Theft Prevention and Online Security pages.