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Banks Never Ask That!

Every day, people lose hundreds, even thousands of dollars to scammers imitating banks. If a scammer was pretending to be your bank, could you tell the difference?

Banks Never Ask That

Can you outsmart online scammers?

Every day, thousands of people fall for fraudulent emails, texts, and calls from scammers pretending to be from their bank.

Want to make sure you’re not one of them? Watch this video and find out how Tim, Mallory and Jade almost got scammed.

Then, take the quiz below to get your scam IQ. Share your score on social media, and tell your friends to be less like Tim, Mallory and Jade. With bragging rights and scam-spotting skills, everyone wins.

Click to watch the video

Take the quiz. Find your scam score. Tell your friends.

HOW TO PLAY

  1. Take the quiz below.
  2. Share the quiz on Twitter.
  3. Retake the quiz to improve your score, then share again.
  4. In no time, you’ll spot a scam from a mile away.
TAKE QUIZ BELOW
Banks Never Ask That Quiz

Show us you have what it takes to outsmart online scammers, then encourage friends and family to do the same!

Start the Quiz
Banks Never Ask That Quiz
Let’s start with this text message.
Is this something your bank would ask?
Banks Ask That Banks Never Ask That
Next Question
1 of 6
Banks Never Ask That Quiz
You received an email.
Wow, looks important. Take some time to check all the details before deciding if it's something a bank would ask.
Banks Ask That Banks Never Ask That
Next Question
2 of 6
Please find your BANK invoice document 47320530 attached by link: https::/www.aci-intl.com.au/invoice_@noreply_aci_35209358295.zip
Banks Never Ask That Quiz
Next question. Let's get tricky!
Signing into your bank online, the website asks you to verify your identity with a verification code, and you receive this text on your phone. Think carefully, would a bank text this?
Banks Ask That Banks Never Ask That
Next Question
3 of 6
Access code request for Pine Creek Bank. To verify your identity, use access code 492503 online only.
Banks Never Ask That Quiz
You're getting a phone call...
You pick it up and the person says the following. Would your bank call to ask you that?
Banks Ask That Banks Never Ask That
Next Question
4 of 6
Banks Never Ask That Quiz
Another email!
You signed up for email updates on your account, and later get this activity update. Does this email seem legit?
Banks Ask That Banks Never Ask That
Next Question
5 of 6
Banks Never Ask That Quiz
Next, you call your bank.
You use the 800 number on the back of your card. The customer service prompt asks you to enter your account number, and verify date of birth. Would your bank ask that?
Banks Ask That Banks Never Ask That
6 of 6
Please enter your account number followed by the pound key. Next, verify your date of birth...
Uh-oh, you’re highly scammable!
0/6

Whoa, Nelly! We are afraid for your safety, and the safety of your money.

Share this quiz with your friends, then come back and try again.

Challenge your family and friends to test their scam spotting skills.
Share my Score

*To tweet your result, please use Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.

Or do some more studying below and TAKE THE QUIZ AGAIN.

Uh-oh, you’re highly scammable!
1/6

Whoa, Nelly! We are afraid for your safety, and the safety of your money.

Share this quiz with your friends, then come back and try again.

Challenge your family and friends to test their scam spotting skills.
Share my Score

*To tweet your result, please use Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.

Or do some more studying below and TAKE THE QUIZ AGAIN.

You’re on track to becoming a scam-spotting whiz!
2/6

Well done! You can spot most scams, but some fraudulent messages are still getting past you.

Share this quiz with your friends, then come back and try again.

Challenge your family and friends to test their scam spotting skills.
Share my Score

*To tweet your result, please use Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.

Or do some more studying below and TAKE THE QUIZ AGAIN.

You’re on track to becoming a scam-spotting whiz!
3/6

Well done! You can spot most scams, but some fraudulent messages are still getting past you.

Share this quiz with your friends, then come back and try again.

Challenge your family and friends to test their scam spotting skills.
Share my Score

*To tweet your result, please use Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.

Or do some more studying below and TAKE THE QUIZ AGAIN.

You’re on track to becoming a scam-spotting whiz!
4/6

Well done! You can spot most scams, but some fraudulent messages are still getting past you.

Share this quiz with your friends, then come back and try again.

Challenge your family and friends to test their scam spotting skills.
Share my Score

*To tweet your result, please use Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.

Or do some more studying below and TAKE THE QUIZ AGAIN.

You’re practically scam-proof.
5/6

Holy moly! You’re practically a Scam Expert.

Share this quiz with your friends, then come back and try again.

Challenge your family and friends to test their scam spotting skills.
Share my Score

*To tweet your result, please use Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.

Or do some more studying below and TAKE THE QUIZ AGAIN.

You’re practically scam-proof.
6/6

Holy moly! You’re practically a Scam Expert.

Share this quiz with your friends, then come back and try again.

Challenge your family and friends to test their scam spotting skills.
Share my Score

*To tweet your result, please use Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.

Or do some more studying below and TAKE THE QUIZ AGAIN.

Watch for these red flags. Banks would never ask for them.

If you receive an email, text, or phone call for any of this, it’s a definite red flag. It’s better to be safe than sorry. End the call, delete the text, and trash the email, because banks never ask that! Want to learn more? View the FAQ.

*Note: You may be asked to verify confidential information if you call your bank, but rarely the other way around. If you’re ever in doubt that a bank call is legitimate, or if a caller pressures you to stay on the line and provide bank information right away or something bad will happen, it is a scam. Hang up and call the number on the back of your card to talk to a real bank employee.

To spot phishing
scams, just remember
"Banks never ask that."

Ask you to provide a PIN or password in a text message? #BanksNeverAskThat
Ask you to click a suspicious link or provide confidential info in an email? #BanksNeverAskThat
Call you out of the blue to verify your PIN?
#BanksNeverAskThat

Still aren't sure if it's a scam? Look for these other clues.

Pro Tip: Beware of Links
Tweet
Pro Tip: Beware of scare tactics.
Tweet
Pro Tip: Protect your confidential info.
Tweet
Pro Tip: Call the number on your card.
Tweet
Pro Tip: Watch for mispelled words.
Tweet
Americans lost

$1.9 BILLION

to phishing and other fraud in 2019
Source: Federal Trade Commission 2020

Ready to improve your Scam Score? Take the #BanksNeverAskThat quiz.

Take Quiz

FAQs

What is phishing?
Phishing is a type of online scam where criminals make fraudulent emails, phone calls, and texts that appear to come from a legitimate bank. Every year, people lose hundreds, even thousands of dollars to these scams. The communication is designed to trick you into entering confidential information (like account numbers, passwords, PINs, or birthdays) into a fake website by clicking on a link, or to tell it to someone imitating your bank on the phone.
What to do if you receive a scam email, call, or text.

Email or Text

If you suspect that an email or text you receive is a phishing attempt:

  • Take a deep breath. In most cases, it’s perfectly safe to open a scam email or text. Modern mail apps, like Gmail, detect and block any code or malware from running when you open an email. The key is not to click links, or download any attachments. 
  • Do not download any attachments in the message. Attachments may contain malware such as viruses, worms or spyware.
  • Do not click links that appear in the message. Links in phishing messages direct you to fraudulent websites.
  • Do not reply to the sender. Ignore any requests from the sender and do not call any phone numbers provided in the message. 
  • Report it. Help fight scammers by reporting them. Forward suspected phishing emails to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@apwg.org. If you got a phishing text message, forward it to SPAM (7726). Then, report the phishing attack to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.

Call

If you receive a phone call that seems to be a phishing attempt:

  • Hang up or end the call. Be aware that area codes can be misleading. If your Caller ID displays a local area code, this does not guarantee that the caller is local.
  • Do not respond to the caller’s requests. Financial institutions and legitimate companies will never call you to request your personal information. Never give personal information to the incoming caller.
  • If you feel you’ve been the victim of a scam, did provide personal or financial information, contact your bank immediately at their publicly listed customer service number. Often, this is found on the back of your bank card. Be sure to include any relevant details, such as whether the suspicious caller attempted to impersonate your bank and whether any personal or financial information was provided to the suspicious caller.
What to do if you fall for a scam email, call, or text.
  1. Contact your bank, financial institutions, and creditors
    • Speak with the fraud department and explain that someone has stolen your identity.
    • Request to close or freeze any accounts that may have been tampered with or fraudulently established.
    • Make sure to change your online login credentials, passwords and PINs.
  2. Secure your email and other communication accounts
    • Many people reuse passwords and your email or cell phone account may be compromised as well.
    • Immediately change your accounts’ passwords and implement multi-factor authentication — a setting that prevents cybercriminals from accessing your accounts, even if they know your password — if you haven’t already done so.
  3. Check your credit reports and place a fraud alert on them
    • Get a free copy of your credit report from annualcreditreport.com or call 877.322.8228.
    • Review your credit report to make sure unauthorized accounts have not been opened in your name.
    • Report any fraudulent accounts to the appropriate financial institutions.
    • Place a fraud alert on your credit by contacting one of the three credit bureaus. That company must tell the other two.
      – Experian: 888.397.3742 or experian.com
      – TransUnion: 800.680.7289 or transunion.com
      – Equifax: 888.766.0008 or equifax.com
  4. Contact ChexSystems at 888.478.6536 to place a security alert on the compromised checking and savings accounts when a deposit account has been impacted.
  5. Contact the Federal Trade Commission to report an ID theft incident: visit ftc.gov/idtheft or call 877.438.4338.
  6. File a report with your local law enforcement
    • Get a copy of the report to submit to your creditors and others that may require proof of the crime.
Where can I find my bank’s fraud guidelines?

Most banks publish specific guidelines for their customers. To find your bank’s recommendations, just type your bank’s name and “fraud guidelines” into any modern search engine.

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