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Tips to avoid phone, text, and e-mail scams.

“Your debit card has been deactivated due to suspected fraud. Please contact our security department to reactivate your card.” If you ever receive a notice such as this in a phone call, text message, or e-mail, do not respond! Park Bank and the FDIC want to make sure you don't fall victim to scams targeting bank customers.

What are common financial fraud schemes?

• Family emergency scams.

  • In some cases, someone pretending to be a grandson and/or a police officer will phone the grandparent demanding money for bail and legal fees for a bogus arrest. The fraudster may ask for cash to be sent directly through the mail.

• Government "imposter" frauds.

  • These schemes often start with a phone call, a letter, an email, a text message or a fax supposedly from a government agency, requiring an upfront payment or personal financial information, such as Social Security or bank account numbers.

• Debt collection scams.

  • Supposed debt collectors or law enforcement officials may try to say you owe money.

• Fraudulent job offers.

  • You may be asked to pay money in advance to "help secure the job."

• Mortgage foreclosure rescue scams.

  • Fraudsters will sometimes pose as lenders, loan servicers or mortgage consultants.

• Lottery scams.

  • You might be told you won a lottery (typically one that you never entered) and asked to first send money to the “lottery company” to cover certain taxes and fees.

• Elder fraud.

  • Thieves can target older adults through telemarketing scams, which may involve sales of bogus products and services that will never be delivered.

• Overpayment scams.

  • A stranger buying something from you online, who then sends a check, may send you more money than they owe. They will ask for money back while they're check turns out to be counterfeit.

• "Ransomware."

  • This term refers to malicious software that holds a computer, smartphone or other device hostage by restricting access until a ransom is paid.

• Jury duty scams.

  • A thief makes phone calls pretending to be a law enforcement official warning innocent people that they failed to appear for jury duty and threatening an arrest unless a “fine” is paid immediately.

These types of scams are designed to trick unsuspecting consumers into revealing sensitive personal data so that fraudsters can use this information to access their account. Given the stakes involved in protecting your finances, Park Bank encourages vigilance in protecting yourself from these scams and fraudsters.

Hopefully you haven't fallen for any of the scams listed above. However, if you did mistakenly provide your debit or credit card number, you need to take action, quickly.

What can I do if I believe I may be the victim of card fraud?

• Call the financial institution that issued the card.

  • If it is a Park Bank-issued card, call 608.278.2801.

• Outside of regular business hours, call the number on the back of your card to report it lost or stolen.

  • This will block any future unauthorized transactions on your card. For Park Bank-issued cards, the numbers are as follows:
    • Debit Cards: 1-800-359-PARK
    • Credit Cards: 1-855-496-8635

Park Bank understands that being on the receiving end of one of these scams is unnerving. That’s why we are here to help protect you from this type of fraud. And, we make it a point to arm our clients with the information they need to avoid identity theft.