Law enforcement agencies across the state have seen an increase in “Account Hack” scams in the past several months.
Here’s how it works:
• You will receive an unsolicited phone call or text from a scammer posing as a representative of your bank. They will ask if you have recently made a purchase in a city far away from home. The scammer may say something like this: “We have noticed some unusual activity on your account. Did you authorize the $800 payment at a convenience store in Rochester, New York?”
• When you reply that the transaction must be fraudulent, since you have never been to Rochester, New York, the scammer will then pose as a bank employee to “help” you secure your account and mark the charge as fraudulent with the bank.
• Ultimately, the scammer will have you “verify” all your personal information over the phone, including your name, date of birth, address, passwords, and account numbers. The scammer will make you believe you are talking with your bank, but in reality, you are handing over sensitive information to an unknown scammer.
In the end, the scammer will now have access to your personal information and bank account numbers. You may see large amounts of fraudulent withdrawals on your account afterwards.
As always, if you receive an unsolicited phone call from someone claiming to be a representative from your bank, stating that your account has been hacked, immediately hang up the phone. We suggest that you research the correct telephone number for your bank, call them back, or visit a bank branch in person to verify the story for yourself. In most cases, you will find that your account was never hacked in the first place.
If you have been the victim of a scam, please contact the Ponca City Police Department.
