Prevent Account Takeover Fraud

There are many different methods that scammers use to get your personal information. It can happen through email, text message, phone call, social media and more, and some of the tactics are incredibly convincing. Scammers will use your personal information to commit fraud, such as spending your money or stealing your identity.

Read on to learn how to identify a scam that’s targeted at getting your bank account information, which can lead to what’s called account takeover fraud. In general, it’s good to keep these fraud prevention tips in mind:

• Be cautious of the communications you get that appear to be from your financial institutions.
• It’s always better to be safe than sorry. When in doubt, call INTRUST Bank directly at 800-895-2265 to ask about a phone call, text message, or email you received that appears to be from us and asks you to share information.
• Do not give anyone — even someone claiming to be from INTRUST Bank— your online and mobile banking credentials, including your username, password, or one-time security code.

What is an account takeover?

An account takeover happens when a scammer contacts you and pretends to work for your bank or another institution you trust. They trick you into giving them your personal or account information. Once they have access to your account, they can make unauthorized transactions.

How does account takeover work?

An account takeover usually begins with a scammer sending a text message to your cell phone. They may say they’re from the bank’s fraud department and ask you to confirm you made a payment from your account. If this is a fraud attempt, the scammer typically follows up with a phone call and asks for your personal information so they can “cancel the payment.”

Scammers also commonly impersonate employees from large retail companies such as Amazon or Target. They will contact you claiming that there has been fraudulent activity on your account and request access to your online banking so they can “refund the purchases.” 

Scammers commonly ask for your online and mobile banking information, including your:

• Username
• Password
• One-time security code

You should never provide this information. In doing so, you will be giving the scammer access to your accounts.

How to spot the scam

How do you know when communication is real and when it’s a scam? There’s a key difference: At times, INTRUST Bank may indeed contact you via text message or phone call regarding suspicious activity on your accounts, but we will never ask for confidential information, including your password. If the person you’re talking to asks you for this, it’s a red flag that the caller is not from INTRUST.

How to avoid account takeover fraud

If someone claiming to be a representative of INTRUST Bank contacts you by phone, email, or text message and wants you to share your confidential information, you should consider this to be fraud. If it is a phone call, hang up immediately. There is no harm in ending the call if you are unsure whether it’s real or fake. Contact us directly, and we’ll be happy to help you.

Be aware that area codes and caller ID can be misleading, and a local area code or a caller ID that reads “INTRUST” does not always guarantee that the caller is local or from INTRUST Bank.

Report fraud immediately

If you feel that you have been the victim of fraud or attempted fraud, please contact us immediately. Then follow the steps to take for victims of fraud.