Fraud Protection: 5 Reminders to Avoid Smishing and Vishing Scams

Personal Finances 2 min read

Smishing is a type of cyberattack that uses text messages to trick people into giving away personal information or clicking on malicious links.

Vishing, or voice phishing, is a type of identity fraud scam that uses phone calls or voicemails to trick people into sharing sensitive information.

Talk to a fraud prevention expert

Find A Location Get In Touch

Use these five helpful reminders to stay safe:

Stay on alert for suspicious SMS text messages stating payments have been made using your account or Zelle information. These types of messages are called smishing.
Phishers send a text, supposedly from your financial institution, asking you to confirm transactions made from your account by responding with a simple “Yes” or “No”, prompting a possible phone call from them immediately after.
Do not respond to these types of messages. Instead, call your financial institution directly to confirm they have sent you a message about your account or to make sure there are no actual unknown transactions.
When calling your financial institution, always call the number from the institution’s website or the number found on the back of your debit/credit card.
If you feel you have been a victim of an SMS text messaging scam, call your financial institution for immediate assistance.

Find more on smishing, voice phishing, and Zelle fraud explained by Brian Krebs, author of Krebs on Security, using the links below:

Need extra information on how to protect yourself and your information? Check out our free online course on Identity Protection.

Identity Protection – First Bank

Talk to a fraud prevention expert

Find A Location Get In Touch

First Bank may use this email address to contact you about products, services, and promotions.

You may be interested in...

First Bank Credit Card There are many benefits to having a First Bank credit card. Perhaps you’ve encountered unexpected expenses like a medical bill or car repair. Or maybe you don’t want to front a large down payment for an item and would prefer to pay in smaller installments. If you’re a small business owner, you could use some help managing day‑to‑day purchases. 3 min read

Three Tips to Building Your Emergency Savings Trying to stay on top of your finances and budgeting for monthly expenses can be stressful, especially when unexpected car repairs, job related issues, or natural disasters occur. We want to make sure that you are fully prepared in case any unexpected life altering events happen and fortunately there’s a way you can do so. Starting to build your emergency savings can help you when you find yourself in a bind. Emergency savings, or an emergency fund, allows you to build a savings buffer, so that you do not have to worry about how to pay for unforeseen financial emergencies. If you don’t know where to start with saving for emergencies, here are a few tips to help get you started. Create a budget. Creating a budget helps you estimate how much you are spending. You can adjust a budget to show how much you are spending on a monthly or weekly basis. This helps you visualize where your money is going and how much of your income you have left over after paying bills. Having a budget can also help you determine wants vs. needs. Determining needs over wants can free up more money from things that aren’t necessities. Determine how much to put into your emergency savings. Money experts recommend having three to six months’ worth of expenses saved in your emergency savings. However, once a budget has been created and you see how much extra income you have, you can decide how much is reasonable to put into an emergency fund. Don’t be discouraged if it seems like you aren’t saving enough initially. Everyone’s situation may vary and as you become more comfortable saving, adjustments can be made. Determine where to keep your emergency fund. Figuring out where to keep your emergency savings is completely up to you, but make sure to keep it in a place that is easily accessible. A few options for savings are a savings account, checking account, or certificate of deposit. No matter which option you choose, we have associates ready and available to help get you started. Find your local branch today and start getting your savings in order. Want to continue learning how to make your money go further? Take 3 min read

Mortgage Rates 101: Information You Should Know Acquiring information about mortgage rates is a vital step in the home buying process. Mortgage rates vary based on several factors, such as the amount and type of your loan and your credit score. To get better mortgage rates in your area, it’s best to contact your local lender like First Bank. First Bank’s Mortgage Center provides customers with answers to common questions about loan options, mortgage rates information, and more. Whether you are a first-time homebuyer, an experienced homebuyer, or building a new home, we provide information that can help you qualify for the loan and purchase your new home. Mortgage Rates Information from First Bank You will typically have multiple loan options to choose from before purchasing a home, including conventional mortgages, government loans, and construction loans. Two of the most popular types of home loans are conventional adjustable-rate and fixed-rate mortgages. Conventional adjustable-rate mortgages: Interest rate, monthly principal, and interest payments remain the same for an initial period of 3, 5, or 7 years, for example—then adjust periodically. Interest rate caps set a limit on how much your interest rate can increase. ARMs typically have a lower initial interest rate than fixed-rate mortgages. Monthly principal and interest payments may increase as the rate adjusts. Conventional fixed-rate mortgages: Interest rate and monthly payments stay the same for the duration of the loan. Offers protection from rising interest rates for life of the loan. Available in 15-year, 20-year, and 30-year fixed-rate loan term options. For more information on conventional mortgage rates or mortgage rates on our other home loan options, find your local First Bank loan officer today. Loans subject to credit approval. ——— Sources: Investopedia: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/credit_score.asp Investopedia: http://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/05/022405.asp?lgl=mtdt-v1 2 min read

The Impact of Home Ownership on Your Credit Rating If you're in the market for a home, you've probably spent some time cleaning up your credit. After all of that hard work, you may wonder what impact a mortgage will have on your credit rating. 3 min read