What is Spoofing?

Phone spoofing is the practice in which scammers manipulate the caller ID on your phone to display a seemingly legitimate phone number, often one associated with a reputable institution like your bank. Through phone calls or text messages, these fraudsters attempt to take on the identity of the bank employees, aiming to dupe you into sharing your personal information.

Adding to the trickery, these fraudsters can be extremely persuasive, using the names of actual bank staff members and possessing fragments of seemingly private data such as your email address or the initial digits of your debit card (typically the more widely known ones). They might stress the need for urgent action such as closing the account or disabling your card due to suspected fraudulent activity, or they could ask for the username or password to your online/mobile banking account. It’s crucial not to be taken in by these actions.

When you call your bank, they will ask you questions to verify your identification before discussing your account. This may also happen when your bank calls you.  Note that when your bank asks for an account number or social security number for verification, they will typically only ask for a partial number (ie the last 4 digits) as verification and will often use multiple methods to verify your identity.  

Banks will NEVER call YOU to ask you for your online banking login information. If you didn’t initiate the call, refrain from sharing the following:

Simply hang up the phone. In case you have doubts about the authenticity of a call, hang up and call your financial institution back. This ensures your communication with your legitimate bank. 

Learn more about spoofing and ways to avoid being a victim of a spoofing scam at fcc.gov/spoofing.

If you are unsure about phone number spoofing or have any questions, do not hesitate to end the call, and give us a call at (314) 645-0666 to verify you are speaking with a member of our local CNB St. Louis Bank team.