HARTFORD — The Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) and the Department of Banking (DOB) are warning the public about scammers impersonating customer support teams of financial services, commonly through phishing emails.
In one complaint reported to DCP, a consumer spoke with an alleged customer support team member for a well-known investment service. The consumer requested the sale and transfer of $10,000 to their bank account. The request was completed, until a few weeks later the consumer was locked out of the app and learned from the real customer support team that there were no funds or securities in the account.
“The unfortunate reality is scammers will target services that hold high monetary value and maintain sensitive information,” said DCP Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli. “This scam trend reminds us all about the importance of education and awareness. To stay vigilant against scams, consumers must learn how to detect a phishing message, stay up to date on scam trends, and share these tools with family and friends.”
"No legitimate firm or financial institution will email you claiming that your account has been compromised, or requesting personal information," said Banking Commissioner Jorge Perez. "The only way to ensure that you are dealing directly with your financial institution, or related entity such as your mortgage server, is to contact them directly, by calling the telephone number on your account statements or by typing in the entity’s website directly into your browser and accessing your account yourself. Unfortunately, you can't trust the telephone numbers or links provided in emails. It’s always better to err on the side of caution.”
“Phishing” is a message where the sender poses as a well-known figure or organization. The message demands immediate action, threatening a false consequence if not completed. However, to complete the action, recipients must click a link. The link is a gateway for scammers to steal personal information or download harmful malware to a device.
Some red flags of a support team imposter include:
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Asking user for account password
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Asking for personal information (Social Security, routing or account numbers)
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Sending links through text message
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Suggesting that the user creates a new account over-the-phone
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Requesting money or cryptocurrency through the app or other payment apps
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The support email ends with “@gmail.com,” “@yahoo.com,” or a domain other than the company’s name
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Emails have typos, grammatical mistakes, or awkward language
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An offer for a prize, gift or deal that seems too good-to-be-true
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Sending attachments claiming to be tax or financial documents. False attachments can download harmful malware onto your device.
If you receive a message from a support team, avoid clicking links or attachments. If consumers search for the company’s name and customer service number in a search engine, they may be directed to a fake phone number. Use the phone number located on the company’s app or website to contact the company directly.
It is best practice to avoid using public Wi-Fi when logging into banking or financial services. If you need to enter personal information or payment details, ensure you are on a secure network and that your device is concealed from others.
For more information or to file a complaint, contact the Department of Consumer Protection by emailing dcp.complaints@ct.gov or visit www.ct.gov/DCP/complaint
For questions or complaints, or to look up an investment professional, visit the Department of Banking’s website at https://portal.ct.gov/dob.