FRAUD ALERT: IMPOSTER PHONE CALLS
Bank of Wisconsin will never ask you for your credit or debit card information, your online banking credentials or ACH information. If you believe you have given out any account information, contact your banker immediately, call us at 715.449.2556 or stop by our branches in Birnamwood, Hatley, Wittenberg and Antigo. Businesses read more here on PPP loan scams.
Fraudsters are using publicly available Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan data to impersonate banks and trick individuals into sharing sensitive information. At Bank of Wisconsin, we care about our customers and hope this information can help you spot and avoid these scams.
Spoofing Caller IDs: Incoming calls may appear to come from us or someone you know.
Text Messages: Messages may claim immediate action is required and include links to fake websites.
Calls to Business Phone Lines: Fraudsters may ask for specific employees by name to sound credible.
Requesting Your Credentials: Scammers will often ask for online banking usernames, passwords, or one-time security codes.
Sending Fake Links: Scammers will send emails or texts including links claiming you need to “update” your account or “freeze” a transaction.
Using Threating Language or requesting immediate action: Scammers often will try to intimidate you over the phone to get you to act quickly.
Requesting unusual payment methods: Scammers tend to ask for payment using methods like cryptocurrency, wire transfers, or gift cards.
Sending you fake documents via the mail: Scammers will send fake documents to your home or business to try and get you to contact them.
Issues with a wire, ACH, or check payment.
Suspicious or fraudulent activity in digital banking.
The need to verify, freeze or stop a transaction.
A required security or account update.
Regardless of the reason, be cautious if someone is asking for access to your banking information.
Verify Before You Share: If you receive a suspicious call, hang up and contact us.
Don’t Trust Caller ID: It can be faked.
Avoid Clicking Unsolicited Links: Never click links in unexpected emails or texts. Always verify that they are coming from Bank of Wisconsin before responding.
Keep Your Sensitive Information Private: We will never ask for your password or one-time passcodes to your accounts or for any forms of your other sensitive information.
Verify all callers: Caller IDs can be spoofed to look legitimate. If you receive a suspicious call, hang up and contact us.
Use your online banking tools: Set ACH limits and dual controls to provide guardrails for your ACH activity. Review all ACH transactions before submitting an approval.
Avoid unsolicited links: Access Online Banking through Bank of Wisconsin's website or Mobile App.
Keep credentials private: Never share usernames, passwords, tokens, PINs, or authentication codes.
Educate your team: Ensure employees know how to recognize phishing and spoofing attempts and understand your internal procedures for handling banking requests.
Report suspicious activity immediately: Prompt reporting can help prevent or limit potential losses.
If you suspect that you have been a victim of fraud, contact us immediately.
