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WICD ABC NewsChannel 15 TOP STORIES VIDEO
URBANA -- Several people in East Central Illinois have been targeted by scam artists. They were sent text messages from someone claiming to be from First Midwest Bank.
As of yet, we haven't heard of any police reports filed. Those who got the message have warned others about it ad police are now aware of the scam. Authorities say these are hard cases to solve so the best defense is common sense. Although texting is a relatively a new form of communication, the con-artists are playing the same game.
"There's frankly nothing new here," said Urbana Police Sgt. Dan Morgan, "Before there were even cell phones, there were people calling up just like you get phone solicitations now but it was a straight-up scam."
Morgan says by now, people should better.
"That's the problem - common sense sometimes isn't all that common," he said, "People will panic when it comes to their money or their bank accounts."
Worse yet., technology has only made it easier for scams to target a lot of people at once.
"Now that I can, through any number of means, obtain a list of cell phone numbers, the same person could have also obtained a list of e-mail addresses and they've sent the same thing to a bunch of e-mail addresses too," Morgan said.
First Midwest Bank says if you get an e-mail from them, it's a broad-based one sent to a lot of people. And as for messages through your phone, First Midwest says they don't send customers texts. Once police are involved, it's probably too late. If there's any questions, take them to the bank.
"Your most effective spam or phishing filter is you," Morgan said.
A First Midwest spokesman said Tuesday he became aware of the scam Sunday night. He says the bank has a fraud and securities division that is looking into it. Morgan says if you get an e-mail or call from a bank, look up that bank's number on your own and call that number only.
Reported by A.J. Bayatpour
As of yet, we haven't heard of any police reports filed. Those who got the message have warned others about it ad police are now aware of the scam. Authorities say these are hard cases to solve so the best defense is common sense. Although texting is a relatively a new form of communication, the con-artists are playing the same game.
"There's frankly nothing new here," said Urbana Police Sgt. Dan Morgan, "Before there were even cell phones, there were people calling up just like you get phone solicitations now but it was a straight-up scam."
Morgan says by now, people should better.
"That's the problem - common sense sometimes isn't all that common," he said, "People will panic when it comes to their money or their bank accounts."
Worse yet., technology has only made it easier for scams to target a lot of people at once.
"Now that I can, through any number of means, obtain a list of cell phone numbers, the same person could have also obtained a list of e-mail addresses and they've sent the same thing to a bunch of e-mail addresses too," Morgan said.
First Midwest Bank says if you get an e-mail from them, it's a broad-based one sent to a lot of people. And as for messages through your phone, First Midwest says they don't send customers texts. Once police are involved, it's probably too late. If there's any questions, take them to the bank.
"Your most effective spam or phishing filter is you," Morgan said.
A First Midwest spokesman said Tuesday he became aware of the scam Sunday night. He says the bank has a fraud and securities division that is looking into it. Morgan says if you get an e-mail or call from a bank, look up that bank's number on your own and call that number only.
Reported by A.J. Bayatpour
Tuesday, January 17 2012, 06:22 PM CST
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