PHOENIX – Attorney General Mark Brnovich is warning Arizonans to watch out for bank scams. Fraudsters are pretending to be banks to trick customers into sharing their bank account information.
The scam typically starts with an unsolicited email, text, or call from a person claiming to represent a legitimate bank. The scam may include a website that appears to belong to a legitimate bank, but the contact information on the website actually belongs to the fraudster.
The fraudster may ask the customer to provide bank account information for a reason that sounds convincing, such as “verification.” The fraudster also may ask the customer to download an app to “fix” a technical issue, but the app actually gives the fraudster remote access to the customer’s device and account information.
“When it comes to sharing bank account information, you can never be too careful,” said Attorney General Mark Brnovich. “Consumers should never give account information to unsolicited callers or click on links in unsolicited bank emails and texts.”
Attorney General Brnovich offers the following tips to consumers to avoid bank scams:
- Do not share bank account information in response to unsolicited emails, texts, or calls.
- Only use known links to access bank websites. Do not assume that links to bank websites are legitimate, especially in unsolicited emails. Double-check URLs.
- If you get a call claiming to be from your bank, get the caller’s information, hang up, and call your bank using the number on your bank’s official website.
- Do not download an app in response to an unsolicited request. Only download and install software from providers you trust.
- Register your phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry, but keep in mind scammers will ignore the registry.
If you believe you have been the victim of consumer fraud, you can file a consumer complaint by visiting the Attorney General’s website. If you need a complaint form sent to you, you can contact the Attorney General's Office in Phoenix at (602) 542-5763, in Tucson at (520) 628-6648, or outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas at (800) 352-8431.