Bank text scams are becoming increasingly common, making it difficult to distinguish between genuine messages and fake ones. Scammers will often send texts that appear to be from your bank, posing as warnings or fraud alerts.
They may claim unauthorized charges or ask for confirmation of specific transactions and may use urgency to pressure you into taking immediate action. While some fraudulent texts are easy to spot due to errors in spelling and grammar, others can be highly convincing.
If you receive a text message claiming to be from your bank, but you have no prior communication regarding it, proceed with caution. It’s important to know how to identify a legitimate text message from your bank in order to protect yourself from scams.
1. Check for misspellings and grammatical errors
Scammers may try to imitate official messages, but often overlook spelling and grammar errors. Carefully examine the text message for any unusual language usage, misspelled words, or poor grammar. Professional financial institutions will usually have quality control measures in place to ensure error-free communication.
2. Do not click on suspicious links
If a text message contains a link to an external website, exercise caution before clicking on it. Scammers often use links to redirect users to phishing websites designed to collect personal data.
Instead of clicking on the link directly from the message, manually type the bank's official website URL into your browser (www.sbsavings.bank) or use a trusted search engine to find the bank's website.
3. Be cautious of urgent or threatening messages
Many bank text scams exploit a sense of urgency or fear to prompt immediate action. If a message creates an urgent need for you to take immediate action, such as threatening to close your account or reporting suspicious activity, consider this a huge red flag.
4. Double-check with your bank
When you’re unsure about the authenticity of a text message from your bank, you can always contact your bank directly to verify it’s legitimacy.
Instead of relying on details provided within the suspicious message, use official contact information obtained from the bank's website or statements. Bank representatives can confirm if the message is genuine or inform you of any ongoing scams targeting their customers.
By following these tips, you can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to bank text scams. Remember, it is always better to be cautious and double-check. Stay vigilant and protect yourself from these fraudulent activities.
For more information about how to keep yourself safe online, visit our security resources fraud and identity theft page at:
https://www.sbsavings.bank/resources/security-resources/fraud-identity-theft
