Can You Spot a Phishing Scam?

Every day, thousands of people fall victim to fraudulent emails, texts and calls from scammers pretending to be their bank, a loved one, the government or law enforcement. And in this time of expanded use of online and mobile banking, the problem is only growing. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission's report on fraud estimates that American consumers lost a staggering $12.5 billion to phishing scams and other fraud in 2024—an increase of 25% over 2023.

These criminals are skilled at tricking you— convincing you to trust them, pay them and act fast. At Banner Bank, we’re committed to helping you spot scams as an extra layer of protection for your account. We’ve joined with the American Bankers Association and banks across the country in a nationwide effort to help you realize when you're under a scammer's trance and snap out of it so you can avoid losing your money.

We want everyone to become a pro at spotting a scam—and stop these criminals in their tracks. When you know what sounds suspicious, you’ll be less likely to be fooled. If something feels off, stop, take a breath and trust yourself.

These five scams are full of red flags to look out for:

You’re pressured to log into online banking or send money with payment apps.

Beware of text messages from someone claiming to be your bank saying your account has been hacked. The scammer may ask you to send money to a new account they’ve created for you, but that’s a scam!

You’re contacted out of the blue, asked to act immediately and keep it a secret.

Would your bank ever call you to verify your account number? No! Banks never ask that. If you’re ever in doubt that the caller is legitimate, just hang up and call us at 800-272-9933.

You get a text that includes a suspicious link.

If you receive a text message from someone claiming to be your bank asking you to sign in or offer up your personal information, it’s a scam.

You’re emailed an attachment that you weren’t expecting.

Watch out for emails that ask you to click a suspicious link or provide personal information. The sender may claim to be someone from your bank, but it’s a scam.

You’re asked for personal information like your PIN number, passwords or Social Security number.

Keep your passwords, PINs and personal information private and always log out after each use–this is especially vital when using public computers or your own device on public Wi-Fi. 

You’ve probably seen some of these scams before. But that doesn’t stop a scammer from trying. With this knowledge, you are more prepared than ever to spot text message, email and phone phishing attempts. Visit our security and fraud prevention page to get more tips to protect yourself from scammers.