Maine's Bureau of Financial Institutions warns about online banking scams
Maine’s Bureau of Financial Institutions issued a warning Monday about a scam involving updates to financial institutions’ online banking platforms.
The messages, typically sent to a consumer’s email address, appear to come from a consumer’s financial institution, claiming that the bank or credit union is updating its online banking platform and that the consumer needs to provide verification of account information. The scammers request that the consumer click through links in the email, which direct the user to a site asking for sensitive account information. The messages threaten immediate suspension of the consumer’s access to online banking services unless the account information is provided.
The bureau at the Maine Department of Professional and Financial Regulation advised consumers to look out for this scam and not to divulge bank or credit union account numbers or other personal information by email, text or phone. The customers of several banks and credit unions received emails related to this scam, and anyone with an email account is a potential target.
“Banks and credit unions will not email, text, or call customers asking them to divulge account numbers, pins, or Social Security numbers,” Superintendent Lloyd P. LaFountain III said.
Here's what to do
LaFountain said customers receiving unexpected e-mails regarding online banking updates should call their bank or credit union directly and talk to an employee. Financial institution employees will be able to inform the consumer if the bank or credit union is currently updating its online banking system.
LaFountain also noted that customers should always be vigilant to protect their personal information and monitor account statements.
If a consumer suspects he or she has received a scam email, the consumer should:
- Not click through any links in the email. Clicking the link itself may expose the consumer’s personal information to scammers and harmful software.
- Never provide personal account information or other personal information in response to an e-mail, text, or call. A bank or credit union does not request personal account information in such a manner.
- Be on the lookout for suspicious links. Check the “From” header in any email received — if the name of the author of the email does not match the author’s email address, this is a sign of a potential scam attempt. Another way to check suspicious links is to hover the cursor over the link without clicking the link itself — by doing this, the address for the link will appear on the consumer’s screen. If the link address shown on the screen is different from what the email says, this is a sign of a potential scam.
The Bureau of Financial Institutions has a consumer library on its website with helpful information about how consumers can spot and avoid financial scams. Its consumer outreach specialist also is available to answer any consumer questions related to financial scams or accounts in general by calling 207-624-8570.
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