03-03-2025
Attorney General Nessel promotes anti-phishing campaign
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)— Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and the (MBA) are promoting #BanksNeverAskThat, a nationwide campaign to educate consumers about the threat of phishing scams.
This promotion comes during (NCPW). NCPW, sponsored by the (FTC), looks to inform people about their consumer rights and give them the tools to avoid scams. The week runs from March 2 to March 8.
'I'm excited to work with the Michigan Bankers Association on the #BanksNeverAskThat campaign to help Michiganders remain vigilant against scammers looking to steal their hard-earned money,' said Nessel in a news release sent to 6 News.
If you receive an email, text, or phone call asking for confidential information, it's a red flag. Banks will not ask for confidential information over the phone or through email. End the call or delete the message if you believe it's a scam.
You may be asked to verify confidential information if you call your bank, but never if they call you. Call your bank's customer service number on the back of your debit or credit card if you receive a call from someone claiming to be your bank.
Do not download any attachments in the message. Attachments may contain malware such as viruses, worms or spyware.
Do not click links that appear in the message. Links in phishing messages direct you to fraudulent websites.
Do not reply to the sender. Ignore any requests from the sender and do not call any phone numbers provided in the message.
You can help fight scammers by reporting them to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at . If you have received a phishing text message, forward it to SPAM (7726). You can also report the phishing attack to the .
If you receive a phone call that seems to be a phishing attempt, hang up or end the call. Scammers can change the area code of their calls. If your Caller ID displays a local area code, this does not guarantee that the caller is in your area.
Do not respond to the caller's requests. Financial institutions and legitimate companies will never call you to request your personal information. Never give personal information to the incoming caller.
'With phishing scams on the rise, it's more important than ever to educate and empower consumers. By working together, we can outsmart scammers, strengthen fraud prevention, and protect the financial security of our communities,' said T. Rann Paynter, President and CEO of the Michigan Bankers Association in a news release sent to 6 News.
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