Scammers are more sophisticated than ever. Here's how to protect yourself and how we can help
Text scams and other account takeover threats are rampant, growing in sophistication, and can result in significant financial losses. We are here to help you tell the difference between real communications from First Financial Bank compared to scams. Additionally, we want you to know what to do if you suspect you’ve fallen victim to a scam.
Scammers (aka bad actors) may send texts, emails, and even call unsuspecting consumers, all while impersonating legitimate communications from First Financial Bank, or another credit card or other institution.
Most often the goal of the scammer is to get you to enter your personal information, like your social security number, account number and password, on a “fake” or “spoofed” website. These sites are designed to look like your bank's website or other site you log into. Scammers may even purchase sponsored links to fake sites which appear at the top of search results in Google.
Once you provide your info to the scammer, they may put malware onto your device. Malware is malicious software designed to steal data from a computer or smart phone. The criminal will likely try to immediately transfer funds out of your account before you have a chance to catch on. They may also try to gain access to your email account.
How do you know if a text message is from First Financial Bank?
Unless you’ve already set up account alerts within online banking, First Financial Bank does not send text messages related to your account transactions.If you have opted into account alerts, you will receive alerts related to account transactions.Additionally, if you have opted into text alerts for your First Financial Bank credit card, you will receive texts about suspected fraud attempts. These texts will always come from the short code 86975. We will never include a dollar amount of your transaction in our text messages and we will only ask for a yes or no response. We will not ask you to click on a link or ask for password or other information. If you've set up two factor authentication, we will text or call you when you try to sign in to your account.
I got a text message that I am unsure about ... what should I do?
Don’t panic! Oftentimes, a scammer’s goal is to create a sense of urgency and panic you into reacting right away. The best thing you can do is take a breath and analyze the text message before taking any action.
- Until you are 100% certain this text message came from us, don’t respond.
- Never provide sensitive/personal information over the phone or via text (e.g., Social Security Number, bank account numbers, login information, or card number, etc.).
- We will never ask you to provide information over text, especially sensitive information. A yes/no response would be the most we would request as it relates to fraud.
- Don’t click on hyperlinks included in the text or call phone numbers in the message until you have verified the message is legitimate.
- Don’t “play along” with a potential scammer – the more you engage with the scammer, the more likely it is you will get scammed.
- Don’t send money! Scammers will often ask you to wire money, send money on a gift card, or send a peer-to-peer payment through Venmo or Zelle®. Do not send money until you are 100% certain who the money is going to or if you initiated it from your online banking account to a verified recipient.
Do:
- Take a screenshot of the text message (without clicking the link!). We may ask you to share it with us to help us gather information.
- Call us at the number listed on our website OR the number on the back of your card or statement before responding.
- If it’s a scam, report it as junk or forward spam texts to 7726 (“SPAM”)
- Block the number to prevent future scam/spam calls.
Phone calls
Scammers are getting savvier with phone call fraud and may even spoof an institution’s phone number so the call looks like it’s coming from an institution you have a relationship with.
- Know who would never call you:
- The IRS/tax agency
- Any government agency that is going to arrest you
- Microsoft, Norton, Amazon (on most occasions)
- Know who will call for specific reasons
- Your bank or card provider
When you get a phone call from a number you don’t recognize, or do recognize but seems fishy:
Do:
- Let the call go to voicemail – scammers will typically not leave a voicemail.
- Block the number for scam/spam calls.
- Call us at the number listed on our website OR the number on the back of your card or statement.
- Google the number to see if it’s a known scam…but be cautious of numbers found in Google search – they can be fraud too!
Don’t:
- Answer calls from numbers you don’t know.
- Exceptions: You are expecting a call but not sure what number it may come from (e.g., doctor office). In these situations it is safest to let it go to voicemail!
- Provide sensitive/personal information over the phone (e.g., SSN, bank or card info, etc.)
- “Play along” with a potential scammer
- Validate your personal information for the scammer.
Email tips
- First Financial Bank will never ask you for sensitive information (i.e. username, password, social security number etc) through email.
- Verify the emails are coming from the First Financial Bank email address you typically recieve messages from.
- Keep an eye out for sneaky typos like bankaatfirst.com.
I clicked the link - now what?
- Call us right away! We’re here to help. Our guidance will depend on your individual situation and what information, if any, you have given to the scammer either online or over the phone.
- If you clicked on a link, it may have malware (potential viruses infecting your device). We recommend that you also have your device checked by your service provider.
- Change your password! If you can, immediately log in to your online banking account and change the password. Bonus tip: Don’t use the same user ID for multiple websites, especially for things like your online banking login.
- Have a screenshot of the text message ready if possible. After getting a copy of the text, it should be reported as junk/spam and deleted.
What else can I do to prevent being a victim of fraud?
1.Know which companies that you engage with would text you, for what purpose, and what number those texts would come from. For example, if you haven’t opted in for text messages with the specific company, it’s likely that it’s a scam.
2.Add known legitimate numbers to your contact list as well as email addresses.
3.Check your account activity in online banking and change your passwords frequently. When you see something that looks suspicious, change your password right away and call us so we can help you.
4.Set up alerts so you can be notified of unusual account activity proactively. Make sure to save the phone number or email the alerts come from.
5.Be vigilant. Before you respond to that text, email, Facebook ad or phone call, take a step back and ask yourself how legit this request or offer likely is.
6.Keep your numbers to yourself.Never share account numbers, card numbers, social security number, or even your birth date with an unconfirmed contact. Personal identity details can be used to cobble together a fraud profile of you. Your financial institutions already have this information on file and will ask you to confirm it only in person or through secured channels such as online banking.
First Financial Bank will never send you a text or email seeking personal or account information. If you suspect someone is trying to scam you or access your account,contact us. Curious about other scams? You can learn about five common phishing scams you might not recognize on ourblog.
