Busey is aware of recent fraudulent activity in which individuals are receiving phone calls that appear to be on behalf of our 800 Customer Care number. Scammers are “spoofing” phone numbers to impersonate bank call centers, making it appear that your actual bank is calling.
This tactic is extremely effective as the number displayed appears to be your bank’s correct contact number.
What is spoofing?
“Spoofing” occurs when a caller falsifies the information on your caller ID display to disguise their identity—this tactic is often used to trick someone into giving away valuable information so it can be used in fraudulent activity or sold illegally. This activity is prohibited by both U.S. law and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
In addition to spoofing, it’s important to be on the look-out for other common social engineering attacks, including:
- Attackers reaching out to customers informing them that their bank has been compromised and to transfer funds to a third-party account that they have set up.
- Falsified fraudulent charge texts informing customers that their debit card has been breached.
How to Protect Yourself:
- It can be extremely difficult to identify if an incoming call is spoofed. To best protect yourself from these scams, verify the authenticity of the outreach by stating, “Let me call you back” and call Busey’s official Customer Care(Opens in a new Window) line yourself.
- Use extreme caution if you feel pressured to provide personal information over the phone. You should never provide personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother’s maiden names, passwords or any other identifying information if you are at all suspicious.
- Report Spoofing Attempts
- If you receive a call and believe that the caller ID information has been falsified, don’t delay and act immediately by alerting the appropriate agencies and/or organizations. To report potential spoofing attempts, file a complaint with the FCC or contact us immediately at 1.800.672.8739.
Thank you and stay safe.