Fraud Alert - May 2026

Unfortunately, thieves apply various tactics to steal your hard-earned money, including impersonating your bank, financial advisor, internet service provider, or other legitimate companies or government agencies. Many are skilled at looking and sounding like organizations you know and trust. Don’t be fooled. Pause, verify all requests on your own to thwart their efforts and protect yourself.

Please be aware of the current, scam detailed below:

What is the threat?

Scammers are calling clients of Banner Bank and other financial institutions, pretending to be an employee or someone from a federal agency like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The caller falsely claims someone is trying to steal money from the client’s bank account and they are calling to try to help them. The caller recommends moving the money to an account outside of their bank to keep the funds safe—and provides specific wire instructions. The scammers may also recommend withdrawing funds and depositing them into a Crypto ATM, providing the specific Crypto account to use.

In some instances, the scammer may try to blame a bank employee, claiming they are untrustworthy. Using this premise, they recommend not discussing the situation with any Banner employee.

These claims are completely false.

If you receive an unexpected call, text or email from anyone instructing you to move or withdraw your money—beware, it may be a scam.

IMPORTANT: If we discover your account may be compromised due to fraud or a security threat, we will contact you and provide options to secure your account. We will never instruct you to move your money to a specific account outside of Banner or a Crypto ATM.

Additionally, government agencies do not contact individuals about specific fraud threats or instances or instruct anyone to move money out of their bank accounts. The only time you may hear from an agency like the FBI is if you file a report with them and ask for a response.

What can you do to protect yourself and keep your money safe?

Question any unexpected call or request regarding your money.
Pause and verify before taking action. Scammers often apply pressure to get you to act quickly.
Never move money to an account you do not own when requested by someone else. Once you transfer funds out of your account, it’s no longer yours and it is very unlikely to be recovered.
Talk in person to any member of our team to verify your account(s) are secure.
If you want to move money or open a new account in your name, follow traditional account opening steps—with any financial institution—to ensure your money remains safe.
If you think you may be a victim of fraud, immediately contact us at 800-272-9933 or visit your local branch so we can assist in assessing the situation and helping protect your accounts.
Contact your local police department to learn about recent fraud scams in the area.
Ask a trusted friend or family member for assistance researching the legitimacy of a request.

We encourage you to always verify the legitimacy of any request related to your money, accounts or personal information. If a request is legitimate, the requestor will appreciate you being cautious and verifying the request using your own sources.

Additional Tips:

Unfortunately, thieves apply various tactics to steal your hard-earned money, including impersonating your bank, financial advisor, internet service provider, or other legitimate companies or government agencies. Many are skilled at looking and sounding like organizations you know and trust. Don’t be fooled. Pause, verify all requests on your own to thwart their efforts and protect yourself.
Never answer questions or take action from an unexpected phone call, text or email, even if it looks or sounds legitimate. Unfortunately, criminals have become adept at making emails look official and spoofing caller ID so the call appears authentic—an activity you can report to the Federal Communications Commission at consumercomplaints.fcc.gov.
Some scammers try to charm you into providing information. Others use pressure, creating a sense of urgency, to unsettle you and get you to give them information. Some may even become aggressive if you don’t readily comply.
When it comes to protecting your information, it’s always okay to end a phone call or not respond to a request.

Learn more about fraud scams and how you can protect yourself by visiting our Security Center: www.bannerbank.com/financial-resources/security. If you prefer to talk with us, please visit any branch or call us at 800-272-9933. We’re ready to assist you.