Bank Warns Of Phishing Scam Targeting Debit Card Info

February 22, 2011

An area bank is warning of a phishing scam that may have targeted local residents Monday morning.

“Many customers received robo-calls on their cell phones attempting to gain their account information,” said Al Smith, a United Bank vice president. ” United Bank will never call a customer and ask for their account information.”

Smith said the automated phone calls were a fraudulent phishing scam to obtain customer information that were received by customers of United Bank as well as other financial institutions.

“None of United Banks computer systems have been compromised and no account information has been obtained. The calls were totally random and were received by both customers and non-customers of the bank. These were fraudulent calls attempting to obtain debit card information,” Smith said.

Anyone that may have provide information as a result of one these calls is asked to contact United Bank at (251) 446-6000 or their financial institution.

Comments

16 Responses to “Bank Warns Of Phishing Scam Targeting Debit Card Info”

  1. Mad on February 23rd, 2011 8:56 pm

    These people target our elderly it’s so sad. I volunteer with a organization that helps the elderly and needy with utility bills most of our seniors that come in are on a very low fixed income. I go over there finances with them, what gets me is when there little SSI check comes in it sometimes will pay there bills that month along with there $15.00-$20.00 in food stamps I have had many of them that has gotten sick or had some kind of family emergency and has had to go to loan cash stores to borrow money with interst rates out of this world. These stores get our seniors/disabled to sign paper work allowing them to get the payments held out of the SSI check, sadly most of them will die before they can pay it off because all they are paying is the interst. Some even have 2 or 3 loans this same way. I just wish they could do something to stop the Buzzards from doing our elderly/disabled like this!!! I also wish the state would give them a good increase in food stamps that little $15.-$20. a month will barely buy a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk, that’s real sad

  2. JoshBaker on February 22nd, 2011 10:08 pm

    @Kevin you have a point there. What makes me angry is when people like this are caught they get almost no punishment. Thinks to the justice system be so soft on criminals. They better be lucky the punishments not up to me. They ruin peoples lives.

  3. Jim Stanton on February 22nd, 2011 5:37 pm

    I got a call last fall from a company that supposedly wanted to protect my identity. I was on the phone with the person for 10 minutes or so, they were very very insistent that I give them a credit card number to start the identity protection. I finally gave them a number, off an old depleted gift card I had lying around for a year or so. After I gave them the number they got in a hurry to get off the line, but thanked me very much for the number. I couldn’t waste that much of my time without feeling like I got a little revenge when they tried to use the card number. I was hoping they would put some money on it for me but they didn’t. I realize the best thing to do is just hang up on these people and never give them information, but looking at that old gift card I decided to play along with their game and show them two can play.

  4. interested reader on February 22nd, 2011 3:29 pm

    Scary things are going on in our world. A person cannot be too careful! Thanks for the info on this scam.

  5. atmore on February 22nd, 2011 1:34 pm

    Thats exactly what happend to me! I got the call and was a little bit delerious and then I just hung up because I’m not giving my info out over the phone. NOPE no way! not for anything. Done heard too many horror stories.

  6. OldMarine on February 22nd, 2011 1:07 pm

    I don’t trust anyone anymore at any time ,concerning any matter !

  7. JIM W on February 22nd, 2011 12:13 pm

    All is not lovely in this world be vigilant and know people are always trying to get your informatin. If it smells or looks like trouble it is just as if it looks to good to be true it usualy is. You really have to watch it with the emails there is a lot of people whose full time jobs are to steal your information and sell it to someone else.

  8. United Bank on February 22nd, 2011 9:38 am

    The scam was done by placing blind phone calls to cell phone users through various cell phone providers. They were trying to obtain bank information. They did not have any bank information when placing the call.
    United Bank has not, and never will sale any personal information. Our customers and their privacy are our number one priority. If you are ever concerned, please do not hesitate to call us at 1-800-423-7026.

  9. WORRIED RESIDENT on February 22nd, 2011 9:09 am

    A call at 5:15 AM, was intended to catch you off gaurd. Waking you up, and you don’t have yourself together, not thinking straight. Thank GOD you were thinking!!

  10. Jack on February 22nd, 2011 9:03 am

    Lookout… the IRS doesn’t use E-Mail. If you receive anything but “snail mail” it’s not from the IRS.
    BamaDude..they (phishers) don’t get your info from the bank, that’s why they are phishing. I’ve received stuff from “banks” thay I don’t even do business with. Also look at your checks. All info needed for phishing is printed on them, so look at the businesses that you give your checks to.

  11. Kevin on February 22nd, 2011 8:54 am

    I dont think this had anything to do with intelligence Mr. Baker. This is a very serious problem in todays society. Many elderly people that live on fixed incomes are taken advantage by these idiots. Stop and think of how many changes these elderly people have been through in their lives. It once was ok for your banker to call you and ask for information….it once was ok to answer a “sales” call. They just dont see the danger….God bless them.

  12. BamaDude on February 22nd, 2011 8:50 am

    I am still curious as to how an outside “phishing” company was able to gain access to personal information about our accounts FROM OUR BANK? I didn’t realize our personal information was for sale…I guess banks sale our personal information like any other company. Good lesson to learn and file away!!

  13. Lookout! on February 22nd, 2011 7:44 am

    And there are “IRS” emails going out as well, telling you that you have a form to fill out. All fake, but they use the actual form that the IRS uses online (asks for everything, DOB. SS#, Address, etc.).

  14. JoshBaker on February 22nd, 2011 7:04 am

    You are not very intelligent if you give ANY information over the phone. Also if these people are caught it will be a slap on the wrist. Seems like justice is so weak nowadays. You can take that to the bank pun intended.

  15. T on February 22nd, 2011 6:54 am

    I got an email that went to my “spam” folder, it was a fake “Bank of America” website asking me to “update” my profile and I knew it was fake.

  16. BamaDude on February 22nd, 2011 6:15 am

    How on earth did an outside company get our cell phone numbers??? We received a call at 5:15 am yesterday morning!?!?!