Scams & Alerts

Every day, thousands of people fall victim to fraudulent emails, texts, and calls from scammers pretending to be their bank. And in this time of expanded use of online banking, the problem is only growing worse. Online scams aren’t so scary when you know what to look for. And at First Dakota, we’re committed to helping you spot them as an extra layer of protection for your account. We want every bank customer to become a pro at spotting a phishing scam—and stop bank impostors in their tracks.

The American Bankers Association has launched the #BanksNeverAskThat campaign. This industry-wide anti-phishing campaign aims to educate consumers across the U.S. about phishing scams and how to thwart them. It starts with these four words: Banks Never Ask That. Because when you know what sounds suspicious, you’ll be less likely to be fooled.

For tips on how to keep phishing criminals at bay, including videos, an interactive quiz, and more, visit www.BanksNeverAskThat.com.

What’s Your Scam Score? Take five minutes to become a scam spotter pro by taking the #BanksNeverAskThat quiz. Share your score with your friends and family and encourage them to test their scam savviness, too. The more scam spotters out there, the harder it is for phishing criminals to catch their next victim!

You have the power to detect, deter and defeat fraud. When your phone rings, do you recognize the number? The first step to detect fraud is to screen your incoming calls. If they don’t leave a message, it probably was a fraud attempt. Does the caller ID display a city or state that is not near you? If you decide to answer, don’t give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect. Legitimate organizations won’t call, email or text to ask for your personal information, like your Social Security number, bank account, or credit card numbers. Hang up to deter and defeat the attempt.

What if you get an email or text message from a company you usually do business with? Even if it looks real, it may be a phishing attempt. Do not click on any links; instead, call them directly after looking up their phone number. Never call a number they gave you or the number from your caller ID. Fight the pressure to act immediately. Genuine businesses will give you time to make a decision. Anyone who pressures you to pay or give them your personal information could be a potential scammer. Fraudsters may pose as agents from Zelle, Microsoft, Amazon, Norton, or Geek Squad and request access to your computer to do a service update. Unless you called to initiate the service, don’t trust the person on the other end. They will use scare tactics and threats to commit their crime.

Beware of texts that say "Alert Message - FINAL REMINDER: TRANSUNION has Flagged Your Account for Unusual Activity." This is a phishing scam. Do not call them back or click on any links in their text message. TransUnion is a credit reporting agency, so you wouldn't have an account with them.

Con artists are offering up ways to get a vaccine by telling people they can take part in clinical trials. False offers like this are likely to continue as COVID-19 cases skyrocket.

Be aware of text messages, emails, or social media messages stating you could qualify for a clinical trial and make money doing it. Scammers might offer hundreds or thousands of dollars, but there’s usually a catch and they might ask for money upfront or personal information.

Watch out for red flags -- if you haven’t inquired about a clinical trial and you get a message about one, delete it.

Real clinical trials will never ask you to pay them. Do not click on links as the scammer may be putting malware on your computer. Never give out your Social Security number and never share financial information -- like your bank account or routing number -- unless you are 100% sure who you are doing business with.

• Do not respond to texts, emails or calls about checks from the government. With the government relief checks, you don't need to do anything. As long as you filed taxes for 2018 and/or 2019, the federal government likely has the information they need. Do not give anyone your personal information to "sign-up" for your relief check. To set up direct deposit of your check, communicate only with the IRS at irs.gov/coronavirus. No one has early access to this money. Anyone that claims to have early access is a scammer.
• Ignore online offers for vaccinations and home test kits. There are no products proven to treat or prevent Covid-19 at this time.
• Hang up on robocalls. Scammers are using illegal robocalls to pitch everything from low-priced health insurance to work-at-home schemes.
• Watch for emails claiming to be from the CDC or WHO. Make sure the website address is correct. Don't click on links from sources you do not know.
• Do your homework when it comes to donations. Never donate in cash, by gift card, or by wiring money.

The FTC and FDA have jointly issued warning letters to seven sellers of unapproved and misbranded products, claiming they can treat or prevent the Coronavirus. The companies' products include teas, essential oils, and colloidal silver. If you see a scam, report it to ftc.gov/complaint.

With multiple promising COVID-19 vaccines on the horizon, a new consumer alert from the Federal Trade Commission this week warned consumers of potential fraud scams associated with the vaccines.

The FTC outlined several facts that can help consumers steer clear of potential scams. For example, the FTC said that consumers will likely not have to pay out of pocket to receive the vaccine; will not be able to pay to put their name on a list to receive the vaccine or receive early access; and will not be contacted by a representative from a vaccine distribution site or health care payer asking for their Social Security number or bank account information in order to sign up to receive the vaccine.

The FTC also urged consumers to be wary of providers offering products, treatments or medicines to prevent the virus, and to consult their healthcare provider before paying for or receiving any kind of COVID-19 treatment. If a scam is suspected, the FTC directed consumers to report it by visiting ReportFraud.ftc.gov or filing a complaint with their state or territory attorney general through consumerresources.org.

• Be alert to “phishing” emails – ones that appear to come from legitimate government agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control, especially if the email encourages you to click on a link for more information. Simply delete them without response.
• Ignore phone calls, emails, advertising or mail items offering a miracle cure for, or protection against, Coronavirus. There is currently is no vaccine or cure. When one is available, residents can be sure that the appropriate government agencies will promptly provide information to the public. When receiving these calls do not press a number to be removed from the calling list.
• Don’t be fooled by calls or text messages claiming that you are required to pay for testing or to provide personal information as part of a government response to the Coronavirus.
• Beware of unauthorized or fraudulent charities or solicitations. Bogus charities will try to solicit donations during these emergencies.
• There have been reports of a scam that involves automatic credit or bank charges for Coronavirus test kits which can only be cancelled and refunded if the unsuspecting victim will "verify" their account information and mailing address.

• There is no fee to file for unemployment compensation. The Department of Labor and Regulation will never ask for a payment method to process a claim.
• There are several false websites that advertise they can assist claimants in filing for unemployment benefits. Use only the official DLR Reemployment Assistance website: RAclaims.sd.gov.
• Personal Documents: DLR will ask for a social security number and driver's license/state-issued ID, but will not require you to upload them.
• You will not be called and asked to verify your identity after filing a claim, so don't believe it if someone calls. The next step is receiving a packet in the mail.
• DLR does not pay claimants to take surveys, so do not complete any survey that appear to be from the State.

As the Coronavirus takes a growing toll on people’s pocketbooks, there are reports that the government will soon be sending money by check or direct deposit to each of us. The details are still being worked out, but there are a few really important things to know, no matter what this looks like.

1. The government will not ask you to pay anything up front to get this money. No fees. No charges. No nothing.
2. The government will not call to ask for your Social Security number, bank account, or credit card number. Anyone who does is a scammer.
3. These reports of checks aren’t yet a reality. Anyone who tells you they can get you the money now is a scammer.

Look, normally we’d wait to know what the payment plan looks like before we put out a message like this. But these aren’t normal times. And we predict that the scammers are gearing up to take advantage of this. So, remember: no matter what this payment winds up being, only scammers will ask you to pay to get it. If you spot one of these scams, please tell the Federal Trade Commission. We’re doing our best to stop these scammers in their tracks, and your report will help.

Be cautious of scammers taking advantage of COVID-19! Please be extra cautious when you receive emails with links to click to "protect" yourself and/or your assets. General tips on fraud prevention:

• If you receive a call from anyone asking for information about your debit card, mobile banking, checking accounts, or online banking credentials, hang up immediately as we would never call and ask for this information.
• Never provide to anyone your Personal Identification Number (PIN) or your user name and password used to access Digital Banking. There is NEVER a legitimate reason to provide this information, no matter how insistent a caller may be. In fact, the more insistent the caller, the more confident you can be they are a scammer.

The Dating Scam was the costliest scam reported to the FTC in 2019. ​Scammers know millions of people use online dating sites. They are there, too, hiding behind fake profiles. Signs of the Dating Scam include:

• Professes love quickly. Claims to be overseas for business or military service.
• Asks for money and lures you off the dating site.
• Claims to need money - for emergencies, hospital bills or travel. Plans to visit, but can't because of an emergency.

What should you do?

• Slow down. Talk to someone you trust. Don't let the scammer rush you.
• Never transfer money from your bank account, buy gift cards or wire money to an online love interest. You won't get it back.
• Contact your Bank right away if you think you've sent money to a scammer.
• Report your experience to:
  - The online dating site
  - Federal Trade Commission: ftc.gov/complaint
  - Federal Bureau of Investigation: ic3.gov