It may seem like the easiest tip in the book to protect the PIN you use to access your bank account or take money from an ATM. But scammers know how to wear you down and take hold of this information. It’s up to you to be aware of their methods to resist their attempts.
In what’s called an imposter scam, the caller will claim to be someone you know in order to get you to give them money. For example, you might get a call from someone claiming to work at your bank. They may ask you about a fraud alert and ask you to confirm or provide details about your bank account. You might even get a text message the caller “generated” to confirm your identity—but watch out, because those text messages are often used to trick you into letting the caller reset your account password. And if they ask for your PIN and you still think this person is a helpful bank representative, you could have some serious fraud and identity theft on your hands.
The Federal Trade Commission says never to give out account numbers or numbers that identify you (like your Social Security number) to someone who calls you. If the caller has those numbers or a portion of the digits and asks you to confirm, don’t do it. Hang up and file a complaint with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov.
When in doubt, don’t share any bank-related info by phone. If you suspect there may be an issue with your bank account, call your bank using the number on the back of your debit or credit card.