Phishing and smishing might sound like fun games, but they are scams to trick you into disclosing your personal and financial information. Phishing uses email and smishing uses texts that look like they are from your bank or another company or person you trust. They “urgently” tell you to update or confirm account information or the account will be frozen or closed. Scammers ask for your credit card, debit card, bank account and Social Security numbers, and online username and passwords. Then they hack into your accounts, rack up charges, withdraw money, or open new loans or credit cards in your name.

Here are three simple steps to stop a phishing or smishing scam:

• Stop. Do not click on any links or call any phone numbers in the fake message.
• Look. Log in to your account as usual to review transactions or check for alerts. Ocean Bank will not close your account if you don’t immediately reply to an unexpected message.
• Call. Contact your bank or other company at a phone number you know and trust. 

Take the time to question suspicious messages to protect your information and avoid becoming the victim of a scam. Ocean Bank has a team of fraud prevention professionals who investigate suspicious messages and scams. If you suspect you received a phishing or smishing message related to your Ocean Bank account, immediately contact Customer Service at 305-569-5000 or 1-844-0CEAN4U (1-844-623-2648).