A phishing scam targeting banking institutions and their clients is underway, according to Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood.
"We believe these phishing attempts are done at random and are not targeted towards any specific financial institution," said Attorney General Hood. "We are currently working with the financial institutions and various federal agencies in an attempt to identify the origin of the calls."
Hood warns, the automated scam comes from a phone call, text or email from several numbers. Those numbers can come in the form of local area codes, toll free and private numbers.
Usually the scam asks the receiver to activate a debit card and provide their card number and PIN for identification. Both the attorney general's office and financial institutions have verified that the calls are a scam. The attorney general's office is working to find the source of the scam.
Several scam calls and texts came in May, according to Hood. Some of the calls claimed to be from Magnolia Savings, Magnolia Federal Credit Union or Bancorp South. They reportedly tell the recipient to change their account, validate or re-instate their account.
Consumers should be cautious of any cell phone calls, text messages and emails asking for banking information.
Hood said, anyone receiving a suspicious phone call or email should never give out any personal or account information.
If a bank has reason to believe a customer's bank account has been compromised or has the potential of being compromised, there are protective measures in place to securely close and reissue debit and credit cards.
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