South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley and South Dakota Bankers Association President Karl Adam announce a partnership to educate bank customers about banking scams.
The Attorney General’s Office and the SDBA are supporting the American Bankers Association’s “Banks Never Ask” campaign which focuses on anti-phishing and scamming awareness.
“The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division receives reports daily about telephone and internet scams hurting many South Dakotans,” said Attorney General Jackley. “We appreciate the South Dakota Bankers Association’s effort to educate bank customers about such scams and are happy to support this campaign.”
SDBA President Adam said South Dakota banks understand the need to be pro-active in consumer education. “You never think such a scam can happen to you, but unfortunately it does,” he said. “We want to use this campaign as an effort to educate customers to always be aware when they receive an internet or telephone message from someone pretending to be from their bank.”
Attorney General Jackley and President Adam offer these anti-scam tips:
*** Scammers will advise you not to talk with others regarding the transaction – this is a RED flag.
*** Organizations, including banks, and government agencies do not ask for money by telephone or on the internet.
*** Do not click on pop-up messages that appear on computers.
*** Talk to someone you can trust before you provide money or personal information to someone who contacts you.
*** Check and double check email addresses if they are asking you to send money.
*** If the caller represents a business or government agency, don’t trust the telephone number they give you. Hang up and call the organization’s office.
*** Treat calls or emails demanding immediate action with suspicion.
*** Do not give into high pressured sales tactics.
*** Do not provide financial or personal information over the phone or via the internet.
*** These scams are like other such scams – offering you something for money, but not delivering.
*** Do not deposit a check and then wire money.
*** If you are asked to send money, get off the telephone and seriously think about you are being asked to do.
*** Consumers who believe they may have been a victim of any type of scam should contact the Attorney General’s Office’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-300-1986 or at https://consumer.sd.gov.