Five Tips to Protect Yourself from Bank Imposter Scams

Every day, thousands of people fall victim to fraudulent emails, texts, and calls from scammers pretending to be their bank. Unfortunately, the attitude consumers must have when it comes to these types of scams is not “if” this happens to me, but “when.”

No prevention software, AI detection, or behind-the-scenes monitoring is as good as your diligence in looking out for anything that seems suspicious.

Here are five key steps to spot and avoid bank imposter scams:

• Step 1: Do not rely on caller ID. Watch out for scammers who may be able to spoof a phone number so your caller ID reads “Stock Yards Bank.”
• Step 2: Do not share private account information. Remember that Stock Yards Bank & Trust employees will never ask for your username, password, or one-time access codes. This information should always be private and NEVER shared.
• Step 3: Ignore requests to send a payment to solve a problem. Stock Yards Bank & Trust employees will never ask you to send money to anyone – including yourself – to "reverse a transfer," "receive a refund," or anything similar. If a correction is needed, the bank has your account information.
• Step 4: Ignore requests you did not initiate. If you receive a one-time access code to change a password or authorize a transaction you didn't initiate, do not use the code or share it with anyone, even if they claim to be from Stock Yards Bank & Trust. One-time access codes should never be shared.
• Step 5: When in doubt, hang up and contact us directly. If you receive a suspicious phone call that seems like a bank imposter scam, hang up immediately. If you receive a suspicious text, do not respond. Contact Stock Yards Bank & Trust directly using a verified, legitimate source such as the phone number on your debit card, SYB.com, or the Stock Yards Bank & Trust Mobile App.

How to report bank imposter fraud:

If you sent a payment or shared private account information related to a bank spoofing call, contact us at 502-582-2571 right away. If you received a suspicious call but did not respond, send a payment, or share private account information, email us at fraudprevention@syb.com.

If possible, please include these details:

• Call date, time, and your time zone
• Number or identification that appeared on caller ID
• Phone number the Stock Yards Bank & Trust impersonator called to reach you
• Other details about the interaction
• Attach a screenshot of your mobile phone’s call history, if available