“Fraud Department” Phishing Scam

We have been made aware of an unsolicited text and phone call scam circulating through our area. In reported cases, a customer received a text message that appears to be from the F&M Bank fraud department, or other local financial institutions. The text message references a purchase from an online store, in many cases “H.S.N online store”, and asks for the customer to select a link to cancel the transaction.  A sample image is below for your convenience.

Please DO NOT click any links sent to you via text.

Unfortunately, fraudsters can configure a text message or phone call to appear to come from any source. This scam is extremely dangerous because it seems legitimate. To best protect yourself, never give out your confidential information over the phone or via text.

Our fraud detection services will text, email, or call clients if a transaction is suspicious; however, our platform will not request that you select a link to cancel a charge.  Our fraud services will only ask that you confirm if the transaction was initiated by you with a simple “YES” or “NO response. 

If you receive such a call or text message, do not respond. Contact your local F&M Branch using a number you know to be valid. Do not use numbers contained in the caller ID on your mobile phone.

Remember this excerpt from our holiday shopping blog: Safeguarding Your Finances: Protecting Yourself from Holiday Season Scams and Frauds. Revisit this blog for practical tips to safeguard your finances all year round.

“Regularly monitor your bank and credit card accounts for any unauthorized transactions. Be sure to install F&M Mobile on your mobile device to monitor your accounts and receive alerts while on the go!

• Set up transaction alerts to receive notifications whenever a transaction is made. Report any suspicious activity to your financial institution immediately. Purchase alerts are customizable, can be received via email or text, and can be used to confirm legitimate purchases or notify you of suspicious activity. F&M Bank allows you to set transaction and balance alerts within F&M Mobile and Online Banking to stay on top of unexpected transactions on your account.”

 

Here are our tips on how to recognize text scams.