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What are financial scams I should be aware of?

What you need to know:
Scams fall into a couple of categories, Advanced Fee Scams & Bank and Financial Account Scams.

  • Advanced Fee Scams – based on the concept that the victim is promised a benefit (prize, lottery winnings, inheritance) but must pay in advance for some fee before the victim can receive that benefit. Variations of this scheme include business opportunity/work, credit card interest reduction, work from home online scams and romance schemes.
  • Bank and Financial Account Scams – involve tricking individuals into providing their debit card, credit card or financial account information so that scammers gain unauthorized access to those account and siphon off funds. Some of these techniques include:
    • Phishing – use of email and websites that pretend to be legitimate banks, financial institutions, credit card companies and manipulate the victim into disclosing personal and financial data
    • Vishing – telephone equivalent of phishing; fraudsters call prospective victims and pretend to be the victim’s bank to trick them into disclosing details during the call
    • SMiShing – texting equivalent to phishing

Types of Scams:
IRS Scams: Scammers call potential victims demanding cash payments for unpaid taxes via prepaid debit cards, money orders, Western Union/Money-gram or wire through their bank. According to the IRS, the agency will first contact taxpayers by mail, not by phone, concerning taxes owed and it will never as for payments using a prepaid debit card, money order or wire transfer. 

Online Dating Scams: Scammers troll media sites in search of romantic victims-usually claiming to be Americans traveling or working abroad. Here is how the scam works. You are contacted online by someone who appears interested in you. They may have a profile and email you pictures. For weeks, even months you may chat back and forth forming a connection. You may even be sent flowers or other gifts. Ultimately, your new “friend” will request money. There will be repeated hardships that only you can help alleviate. You may also be sent checks to cash or forward a package. In addition to losing your money, you may have unintentionally taken part in a money laundering scheme by cashing phony checks and sending the money overseas and by shipping stolen merchandise. 

Grandparent Scam: A grandparent receives a call from a “grandchild”, typically late at night or early in the morning. The caller claims to be traveling out of the country and is in a bad situation (arrested for drugs, car accident, mugged) and needs money wired ASAP. The caller does not want his or her parents called. A variation is the caller claims to be an arresting police officer, lawyer or doctor and requesting money. 

Online Shopping Scams: These can take many forms. Some scammers will pose as genuine sellers and post fake ads at much lower prices. After you pay, the items never arrive. Other scammers will pose as buyers and send a check for more than the required payment and ask for a refund. You send the refund and the check comes back as fraudulent. You are out the item and the amount of the refund. 

What you need to do:

  • Become familiar with common fraud scams
  • Know who you are receiving checks from before you deposit them
  • Never pay anyone to receive a deposit
  • If someone calls you and attempts to obtain sensitive information or scam you, hang up

If you inadvertently provided personal information and feel your Old National accounts may be in jeopardy, please contact Client Care at 1-800-731-2265 Monday-Friday, 7am to 6pm or Saturday, 7am to noon CT.