WASHINGTON — A scammer may not need to hack your bank account to get your money. A convincing phone call, a spoofed bank number and a few pieces of personal information can be enough to create panic and persuade victims to hand over access to their accounts. A recent Fox News report warns that sca mmers are increasingly impersonating banks, credit card companies and other businesses by manipulating caller ID information. The call may appear to come from the correct phone number for a financial institution. The caller may also know personal details such as a customer’s name, account information or even a Social Security number. The caller then claims the customer has been the victim of fraud and needs to act immediately. That sense of urgency is a key part of the scam. Technology has made it easier for fraudsters to impersonate legitimate businesses and use stolen or publicly available information to make their calls appear credible. One of the simplest ways consumers can protect themselves is to avoid answering unexpected calls, even when the caller ID appears to belong to a company they recognize. If a bank or another business leaves a voicemail, consumers should not automatically call the number provided in the message. Instead, contact the company independently using a trusted phone number. For a bank or credit card company, that could mean calling the number printed on the back of the card or using contact information from a legitimate paper statement. Consumers can also visit the company’s official website and locate its customer-service information. That puts the customer in control of the communication rather than allowing the person who initiated the contact to control the conversation. The same approach applies to suspicious texts and emails. A message may claim that an account has been compromised, a payment is fraudulent or immediate action is required. Consumers should avoid clicking links or responding with sensitive information until they independently verify the message. That includes security codes sent to a phone. A fraudster may ask a victim to read back a verification code supposedly needed to protect an account. Providing that code can give the scammer another piece of information needed to gain access to the victim’s account. The safest response is to contact the financial institution through a trusted channel and ask whether there is actually a problem. Consumers should also be particularly cautious when a caller demands immediate action. That could include instructions to go directly to a bank, withdraw or transfer money, purchase gift cards or provide personal information. The recommendation is simple: stop and verify before doing anything. Scammers may also try to isolate their victims by demanding secrecy. A caller might tell someone not to contact the bank, police or another person because those people supposedly are involved in the fraud. That is another warning sign. Consumers who receive such instructions should stop communicating with the caller and contact their financial institution or law enforcement through a trusted number. The growing use of artificial intelligence has added another layer to the problem. Technology can now be used to imitate voices, raising concerns about scams in which criminals pretend to be a family member or other trusted person. Families can establish a private code phrase that is not posted or shared publicly. If someone receives an unexpected call appearing to come from a relative, the caller can be asked for the phrase. If the person cannot provide it, the call may not be legitimate. The larger warning for consumers is that scammers are increasingly relying on psychological pressure rather than simply trying to fool someone with an obviously fake message. A call can look legitimate on the screen, contain accurate personal information and still be fraudulent. The safest response is to slow the conversation down, end unexpected contact and independently reach the company or person involved. That removes the scammer’s ability to control the communication — and gives the potential victim time to determine whether there is a real problem. The post Scammers can fake bank calls and personal information — what consumers should do appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less