🚨 Spoofed Number Fraud Alert: How to Protect Your Bank Account in Dunlap

Scammers are using caller ID spoofing to impersonate local banks and target Sequatchie Valley residents, and financial institutions are stepping up community warnings. If you bank locally or receive calls claiming to be from your financial institution, this alert matters to you.

📱 What’s Happening: The Spoofing Scam

Fraudsters are using technology to make their phone numbers appear as if they’re calling from your bank-sometimes even displaying the bank’s actual name or local phone number on your caller ID. 🎯 The goal is simple: trick you into sharing sensitive information like your password, PIN, or full account number. Once they have that data, they can access your accounts and drain your funds.

⚠️ How to Spot a Spoofed Call

The most important thing to remember: legitimate banks will never call and ask for your password, PIN, or full account number. ✋ If you receive a call claiming to be from your bank and the caller requests this information, it’s a scam. Hang up immediately-don’t stay on the line, don’t press buttons, and don’t provide any details.

Even if the caller ID shows your bank’s name or number, that’s no guarantee the call is real. Modern spoofing technology makes it nearly impossible to trust caller ID alone. 🔍

💡 What You Should Do

If you receive a suspicious call claiming to be from your bank, follow these steps:

• Hang up immediately. Don’t engage with the caller.
• Call your local bank office directly using the phone number on your debit card, bank statement, or the bank’s official website. This ensures you’re reaching the real institution.
• Report the call to your bank and to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
• Monitor your accounts for unauthorized activity and consider placing a fraud alert with credit bureaus if you’re concerned.

🏦 Local Resources

Dunlap residents who bank with Citizens Tri-County Bank can reach their local office directly to verify any suspicious calls or report fraud. Having your bank’s real phone number saved in your contacts is one of the best defenses against spoofing scams. 📞

Community banks and financial institutions across the Sequatchie Valley are sharing these warnings because fraud affects everyone-it erodes trust, increases security costs, and puts hardworking families at risk. By staying informed and skeptical of unsolicited calls, you protect not just yourself but your neighbors too. ❤️