Reports continue from businesses and other organizations of fraudulent Phishing scam email messages which have the appearance of being sent from the FDIC, the Federal Reserve Bank, the American Bankers Association (ABA) or NACHA which falsely suggest that there is a problem with a transaction, wire transfer, ACH batch or bank account.  These entities do not process or touch the transactions that flow to and from financial institutions and their customers, nor do they send communications to bank customers about individual transactions.

Phishing scams are typically carried out via unsolicited email and/or websites that appear legitimate and lure unsuspecting victims to provide personal and financial information.  In addition, Phishing emails frequently contain attachments and/or links to web pages that host malicious software used in attempts to initiate unauthorized transactions. Do not open attachments or follow web links in unsolicited emails from unknown parties or from parties with whom you do not normally communicate, or that appear to be known but are suspicious or otherwise unusual.

If you are an Arvest customer and received an email of this type and you clicked on a link or attachment or have unusual experiences logging onto web banking, please contact us immediately at (877) 849-2274 so that we can protect your account.

If you are an Arvest customer and received an email like this, but you did not click on links or attachments, please notify us via email at reportfraud@arvest.com.  If possible, please forward the suspicious email.

Phishing scams are still quite common, and come in a variety of forms.  While most are similar to these, others come in the form of customer service surveys, telephone calls or even cell phone text messages.  Please be aware that while most Phishing scams direct you to fake web sites, others may ask you to call a phone number where an automated phone system prompts you to divulge confidential information.

While it can be difficult to identify spoofed email messages, web sites, and automated phone systems, it is not difficult to know if any of the above may be related to a fraudulent Phishing scam.  The key is knowing that legitimate entities do not send unsolicited messages to consumers or businesses prompting them to divulge confidential information.  If you receive such a message, no matter how genuine it may appear, assume it to be fraudulent and please notify the legitimate entity immediately.

For more about Phishing scams, identity theft and other helpful information, please visit our Consumer Protection resource center.