We have recently become aware of a Phone Phishing scam where fraudulent calls are being made in an attempt to gather digital banking logins. These calls come from a source using a number that has been spoofed to make it appear they are calling from First National Bank and Trust (FNBT). The caller pretends to be from FNBT’s Fraud Department to trick you into providing your digital banking login credentials.
IMPORTANT: FNBT will never ask you for your personal financial information or online banking usernames and passwords. DO NOT give out your log-in information in response to an unsolicited phone call, email or text, no matter how official it may seem.
To protect yourself from this type of scam:
- Do not assume that your bank is actually calling you, even if the bank name comes up on the Caller ID or you have your number saved in your phone.
- If you answer the call, tell them you can’t talk right now, hang up, and call the bank directly to confirm whether there is a problem with your account.
- Never give out personal financial information in response to an unsolicited text or phone call, no matter how official it may seem.
- If you are uncertain of the identity of the caller, hang up and initiate the call yourself using a known number.
- Never offer personal or account information via text or over the phone without verifying the sender’s or caller's identity.
- Do not call any phone number received in a voice message, text or email asking for personal information. It could lead you to a phony answering system.
- Do not click through any links on a text message if you are not certain of the identity of the texter.
- Do not respond to any text or email that may warn of dire consequences if you do not validate your information immediately. Contact the company to confirm the validity of the email or text using a telephone number or website you know to be genuine. Clicking on a link could give a criminal access to your personal information.
As a general guideline, be highly suspicious anytime you are requested to access a link within a text that you are not expecting or provide personal information over the phone if you did not initiate the call or transaction. Computer pop-up messages requesting remote access to your computer or requests to download screen sharing apps can also be suspicious. Use extreme caution anytime you are requested to provide personal information.
For more information regarding Phishing and Identity Theft Prevention, visit FNBT’s Fraud Prevention Center on our website.
If you believe you have responded to a spoofed phone call, contact us immediately by calling our Customer Support Team at (800) 667-4401.