Fraud Protection: Our bank will never ask that!

Scammers rely on you to respond to their questions in order to scam you. It’s important to be aware of what a bank can ask you over text or phone so that you don’t inadvertently give your personal identification information to an unknown party.

Banks will not ask for the following over text or phone:

Personal Identification Number (PIN)
Your Personal Identification Number (PIN) is one of the most sensitive pieces of information related to your bank accounts. Banks will never ask you to provide your PIN over text or phone. They have strict protocols in place to verify your identity in a secure manner, and asking for your PIN is a major red flag. If someone requests your PIN, be wary, and report it to your bank immediately.

Full Social Security Number
Banks may require the last four digits of your Social Security Number for identity verification, but they will never ask for the full number via text or phone. Providing the entire SSN to someone over an unsecured channel can expose you to identity theft and financial fraud. Always double-check the authenticity of the request before sharing any part of your Social Security Number.

Full Credit Card Number
Your full credit card number is another piece of sensitive information that banks will never ask you to provide via text or phone. They may ask for the last few digits or the expiration date to confirm your identity, but disclosing your full card number should set off alarm bells. If someone claims to be from your bank and asks for your entire card number, it's likely a scam.

Account Passwords
Banks have strict security protocols to protect your account, and they will never request your account passwords over text or phone calls. It's crucial to keep your account passwords confidential and avoid sharing them with anyone who contacts you through these channels. If you receive a request for your account password, do not comply and report the incident to your bank.

One-Time Passcodes
While banks do use one-time passcodes for extra security, they will never ask you to provide the codes sent to your phone or email during a conversation. These codes are meant for your use only and should never be shared with anyone, even if they claim to be from the bank. Always keep your one-time passcodes private and never disclose them to anyone.

If you are unsure that you should give out a piece of information the following two options are ways to verify you are connected with your bank and not a scammer. One option is to stop the call and then call your physical branch location or the number on the back of your physical bank card to verify you called the correct location. Another option is to go to the physical branch location to ask your questions.