Avoid Scams this Holiday Season

Scams are one thing you don’t want to unwrap this holiday season

Every day, thousands of people fall victim to fraudulent emails, texts and calls from scammers pretending to be their bank. The Federal Trade Commission’s report on fraud estimates that American consumers lost a staggering $3.3 billion to imposter scams, online shopping, phishing schemes and other fraud in 2020 — and the ongoing pandemic has only increased the threat. It’s time to put scammers in their place. 

Online scams aren’t so scary when you know what to look for. At Watertown Savings Bank, we’re committed to providing information to all of our customers to help spot these scams. We’ve joined the American Bankers Association in an effort to fight phishing—one scam at a time. We want every bank customer to become a pro at spotting a phishing scam—and stop bank impostors in their tracks— especially during the holidays. It starts with these four words: Banks Never Ask That. Because when you know what sounds suspicious, you’ll be less likely to fall for their tactics.

These top 3 phishing scams are full of red flags

Text Message:

If you receive a text message from someone claiming to be your bank and asking you to click on a suspicious link, to sign in, or to offer up your personal information, it’s a scam. Banks never ask that.

Email:

Watch out for emails that ask you to click on a suspicious link or provide personal information. The sender may claim to be someone from you bank, but it’s a scam. Banks never ask that.

Phone Call:

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 the bank directly at a number you trust (617-928-9000).

Don’t unwrap a scam this holiday season. For tips and tools on how to keep phishing criminals at bay, including videos, an interactive quiz and more, visit www.BanksNeverAskThat.com.