Is that a call from Midwest Bank or a Scammer?

By Haley Schweers | Retail Banking Manager | Wisner Branch

In today’s world, we must be alert for scams that attempt to steal our personal information. One way that fraudsters are trying to gain access to our client’s bank information is through phone spoofing.

What is phone spoofing?

Phone spoofing is when a scammer manipulates the information displayed on the recipient’s caller ID. Scammers may use phone spoofing to make it appear as if they are calling from a trusted entity, such as a bank or government agency, to deceive and defraud individuals.

What makes this scam very successful is when the scammer calls you prepared. The scammers call the bank and collect details like the names of employees. When they attempt to call you, they may claim they are an employee from the branch you bank at. They might even know information like how much money you have in your account or who received your latest payments.

The fraudsters ask for sensitive information like your bank password, PIN, or even a one-time code to log in to your account.

Midwest Bank would never ask for that information, especially over the phone.

We will never call our clients unprompted and ask for personal information we already have. If you did not prompt the call, you should never share your:

• Account number
• Social Security Number
• Login password or codes
• Debit card number, PIN, or expiration date
• Any other personal information

A growing fraud trend is the ability to clone a person’s voice using artificial intelligence (AI) to scam loved ones and banks into providing sensitive information, extortion, fake kidnappings, and completing unauthorized transactions.

This technology is also known as Deepfake. This trend isn’t something exclusively targeting the elderly. People of all ages and statuses as well as businesses are falling victim to this scam. All a fraudster needs is a clip of a person’s voice to clone – a clip that can easily be obtained from social media and other means. The more audio available, the better the clone. Here is a video highlighting the scam:

What should you do if you think you encounter a spoofed call?

Hang up – even if it sounds legit. Whether it’s a fraudster impersonating Midwest Bank or a real call, stay safe by ending the unexpected call if you feel it’s a scam. You can call the number on the back of your bank card after hanging up.

“Midwest Bank has experts here to help prevent fraud and protect our clients from scams. As fraud continues to evolve, our team is here to make sure your finances are secure.”

What to do if you fall for a phone scam:

1. Immediately write down the information you can remember or collect from the call, including the date and time, the person they were impersonating, what they wanted, the exact number that showed up on the caller ID, etc.
2. If you give a scammer personal information, go to IdentityTheft.gov to see what steps to take.
3. Change your password if you shared any sort of username or password.
4. Contact Midwest Bank.
5. If you lost money, file a police report.
6. Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).

At Midwest Bank, we have a team dedicated to combat phone spoofing and enhancing the security of communication with clients. Learn more about the ways to protect yourself against fraud here.