Is My Bank Really Trying to Call Me? How To Spot Imposter Scams

From car warranty phone calls to political fundraising texts, if your life is anything like mine, you probably receive at least one unsolicited call or text daily. These can be high-pressure sales calls, but they can also be from someone looking out for you. However, when you are caught off-guard, recognizing fraud can be difficult.

How Would Stillman Bank Attempt to Contact Me?

Our employees are trained to ask you if your contact information is up to date. This information includes address, home or mobile number, and email addresses. We always want the most current address so account statements and notices reach you quickly. While changing your address with the US Postal Service and the Secretary of State is critical, you should also contact your financial institution to update this. Changing information, like an address, at your bank often needs to be noticed as many people receive e-statements and there is no disruption of delivery of account information.

Your mobile phone number and email are even more important to us. These pieces of information are used as the frontline for our defense for debit card fraud. We monitor debit card transactions and apply logic to determine possible fraud. Here is an example:

I was shopping at a mall approximately 40 miles from home. I used my debit card there and left immediately afterward. Upon arriving home, I stopped at a drugstore to make another purchase. Because the two transactions occurred quickly across a 40-mile distance, I received a call from the bank to verify that it was not fraud.

Stillman Bank will send a text and an email to the information we have on file if potential fraud is detected. Both methods allow you to confirm that the transaction is valid or fraudulent. You must respond to this text message because a lack of response could lead to declined future transactions. If no response is provided, the system moves the card to a higher risk status, marking each future use as potentially fraudulent.

Proper Precautions for Texts, Emails, and Calls from Stillman Bank

So many attempted frauds use a sense of urgency or fear to get you to act quickly. This tactic is an attempt to lower your guard, causing you to miss clues that the outreach is fraud.

If you receive an alarming call from someone claiming to be Stillman Bank, get the caller’s full name (first and last name) and a callback number. Be concerned if the number is not from the “815” area code. Your next step would be to call one of our six offices directly and ask to be transferred to the person who just called you. Now that you know you are talking to us, you should feel more comfortable discussing your financial matters.

If you receive a text claiming to be from Stillman Bank, never click on a link within the text. These links may take you to a place where your information could become compromised. As with a phone call, you can reach out to any of our offices to verify the contents of the text.

If you receive an unexpected email claiming to be from Stillman Bank, you first should hover over or click on the email address to see the actual address. If it is not coming from [email protected], this is attempted fraud.

What Else Can I Do to Protect Myself?

• Review your statements for accuracy. If something seems wrong, report it to us quickly.
• If you still need to do so, sign up for our online banking. You can view check images, statements, and transaction details. Within online banking, you can set transaction or balance alerts. Both are practical tools to detect fraud.
• One of the newest updates to our online banking is our mobile alerts. With this, you can take control of your debit card. You can receive alerts or block transactions based on merchant type, transaction type (in person, ATM, etc.), or dollar amount. You can also turn your card off without truly deactivating it. Imagine you are traveling to Europe but want to leave your debit card at home. You could turn your card off until you come home. You can also report your card as lost or stolen.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, it all comes down to these three words: stop, look, and think. When you receive any communication that is requesting an urgent response, you should:

Stop. Resist immediate action when receiving a call, email, or text.

Look. Check for anything unusual in the message.

Think. If something seems “phishy,” don’t click on any links or share any personal information.

Brad Hertzner, CBAP
Compliance/BSA Officer