Text Messaging, or using SMS (short messaging service), is an extremely convenient way to communicate and has become increasingly popular among all age demographics.
However, its rising popularity has also made it a very convenient way for scammers to gather confidential and private information about users from the users themselves. An attempt to scam information from users, utilizing SMS/text messaging as a tool, is called SMSishing (‘Smishing’).
Remember that sending text/SMS messages is not a secure method of communication. Also, just because a text message says its ‘From: R Bank’, doesn’t make it so. Remember, scam can spoof* phone numbers, and anyone can send a text message and start the message with From: R Bank.
Your financial institution will never ask you to send information to them that they already have – for example, R Bank would never ask you for your account number, or your Social Security Number via text.
And R Bank representatives should NEVER ask for your debit card PIN or your online banking password. If customers are ever asked for that information, that should be a Red Flag that a non-R Bank individual is trying to access your account information in order to commit fraud. A healthy dose of common sense is always a good place to start the process of determining, ‘Is this a legitimate message from my bank’? Ask yourself if your institution has ever previously contacted you in this manner. Ask why the requested information is being asked for.
- Delete, block and report (via your cell provide) any such messages.
- Contact your local banking center, or R Bank’s Customer Contact Center, with any questions.
Remember, it’s YOUR money – let’s work together to protect it!