4 Red Flags that Expose Scammers

Watch out for scammers – they may tweak their stories and tactics, but the red flags stay the same. Tri Counties Bank and other legitimate financial institutions do not utilize these techniques. Recognizing any of these four red flags can help you avoid scams:

1. Scammers impersonate legitimate organizations to trick you into giving them personal information or money.
   
   Be wary of scammers impersonating Tri Counties Bank and other financial organizations. Fraudsters use technology to manipulate caller ID and send fake text messages to trick you into thinking they are legitimate.
   
   Your caller ID may say it is Tri Counties Bank, but if the caller has a sense of urgency, or if they ask for your personal information, hang up. Tri Counties Bank will never text, email or call you asking for personal information.

2. Scammers initiate contact unexpectedly.
   
   A simple way to identify a scammer is if they contact you unexpectedly and ask for personal information. They may say they noticed suspicious activity, or claim that there is a problem with your account, and they need to “confirm” your personal or financial information.

3. Scammers pressure you to act immediately.
   
   Scammers will try to make the situation sound urgent and pressure you to act before you have time to think.
    

4. Scammers insist on a specific payment method that seems unusual.
   
   They may insist that you make an immediate payment by wire transfer, gift card codes, payment apps such as PayPal, Cash App, and Venmo, or by depositing cash into a Bitcoin ATM. Scammers may tell you that your account is compromised, and to resolve this, you need to wire money or send money to a different account.

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Stay Vigilant and Safe

• Never share access codes or sensitive information, especially when contacted unexpectedly.
• Tri Counties Bank will never ask you to send money to anyone, including yourself, to reverse a fraudulent transaction or establish a new account.
• Tri Counties Bank will never text, email or call you asking for personal information.