Please be aware of fraudulent phone calls claiming to be from the Oklahoma State Banking Department!
The Banking Department will NEVER initiate a phone call asking for your personal or banking information. If you receive such a call, it is a scam!
Scammers will try to rush you and make you anxious and less deliberate by stating that if you do not cooperate immediately and share information such as:
- Social Security Number
- Account Numbers
- Login Credentials (Usernames and/or passwords)
- PIN number
- Date of Birth
- Other personal type information
That you will experience a negative consequence:
- Your account or service will be closed or be locked
- You will incur some charge
- Your computer will get a virus
- Other undesirable scenarios
Sometimes they will soften it a bit and claim they just need to “verify” your information as though it is standard procedure.
Slow Down. Do not Panic. Do not respond emotionally.
Whether you receive an email or phone call purporting to be from the Banking Department or any other agency, company or organization requesting the type of information listed above, make sure you really know who is at the other end.
Start by NOT giving any information on calls you did not initiate (same for email). Instead, end the call and independently look up the entity’s phone number from a reliable source, like an official website.
DO NOT use any website or phone number supplied by the caller as a means of verification.
By making the call yourself you now know that you are speaking with the Banking Department or other entity in question and can safely address the issue.
