Fraud Education & Alerts
Phone Scam Alert – Posted April 18, 2024
There continues to be an increase of phone scammers stating they are from the Bank’s Fraud Department and asking for a Secure Access Code to Online Banking Accounts. Our fraud team members will never ask for your system generated Secure Access Code or any login credentials. If you receive a call, hang up immediately. If you have already received this type of call or have any questions, please contact Customer Service (800) 298-1775.
Defend Yourself Against Phone, Text & Email Scams
- Don’t rely on caller ID as verification of who is calling. Scammers can spoof phone numbers to make it appear that the call is coming from Community West Bank. Call us using the phone number on our website cvcb.com or on an account statement to determine if the request is legitimate.
- Never share your online banking Secure Access Code (SAC) with anyone who calls you, texts you or emails you asking for the code. Remember that Community West Bank will never ask you to share your SAC with us over the phone, by text, or by email.
- Community West Bank will never send you an email asking you to click a link to provide your personal information. Be very cautious of phone calls, texts and emails requesting personal information, such as your debit or credit card number, Social Security number, password, or account numbers.
- Contact Customer Service immediately at (800) 298-1775 during business hours if you believe you have fallen victim to fraud or are suspicious about transaction activity with your Community West Bank account.
Community West Bank takes fraud prevention very seriously. Your personal information is the key to your financial identity and your online identity. We are dedicated to offering information and tips to help protect yourself. The first step in protecting yourself from fraud is to educate yourself and learn about the various schemes and methods that fraudsters use to obtain your personal information. Visit BanksNeverAskThat.com for more information and tips on how you can protect your accounts.
Always remember that:
- Community West Bank will never ask you to send your personal or financial information in response to or via a link in an email
- Our staff will never initiate a phone call asking for financial information such as your account numbers, social security number or account balances
- When you call Community West Bank, we may ask you for specific information in an attempt to verify your identity before disclosing financial information
If you think one of your Community West Bank accounts or services has been compromised, contact us immediately using the following numbers. Please have your account information and the details about the suspected fraud available when you call.
| Fraud type | Where to report |
|---|---|
| Fraudulent emails and websites | Contact the Federal Trade Commission Complaint Assistant(opens in a new window)(opens in a new window) |
| Lost or stolen checks and debit/ATM cards | Customer Service 1-800-554-8969 |
| Lost or stolen credit cards |
Contact Visa® 1-800-423-7503 |
| Suspicious online transactions | Contact Customer Service at (800) 298-1775 or (559) 298-1775 |
Identity Theft occurs when someone uses your personal information, such as name, Social Security number, credit card number, without permission to commit fraud or other crimes. Below are some tips to help protect yourself from Identity Theft:
- Shred your personal documents
- Limit the amount of data you share about yourself
- Use strong passwords for all of your online accounts
- If you feel you must write down your password in order to remember it, make sure you don't label it as your password, and keep it in a safe place
- Install Antivirus and Antispyware on your computer
- Closely monitor your bank statements
Visit our Identity Protection Page for more information on Identity Theft, tips and resources.
Each year, millions of elderly Americans fall victim to some type of financial fraud or internet scheme, such as romance scams, tech support fraud, and lottery or sweepstake scams. Criminals gain their targets’ trust or use tactics of intimidation and threats to take advantage of their victims. Once successful, scammers are likely to keep a scheme going because of the prospect of significant financial gain. For more information, review the FBI's 2020 Elder Fraud Report.
Learn more about scams targeting seniors:
Safe Banking for Seniors - Scam Awareness Training
Malicious advertising, known as Malvertising, is when criminals use ads to spread malware or use ads to trick users into providing sensitive information. When browsing a webpage, if you click on a malicious ad, you may be taken to a phony login page or fake retail site to ask for your sensitive information. Follow these steps to stay safe from malicious ads:
- Think before you click.
- Stay up-to-date with security patches on your device and your browser.
- Install a reputable ad blocker for your browser, this will help from these ads being displayed
Phishing is a high-tech scam that uses spam email or pop-up messages that appear to be from a legitimate source, and deceive you into disclosing your Social Security number, bank account information, credit card numbers, passwords, or other sensitive information. Phishing emails or pop-up messages are sent claiming to be from a business or organization that you associate with like your bank, Internet service provider, online payment service, or a government agency.
Although they can be difficult to spot, the phishing emails usually ask you to click a link back to a fraudulent website to provide, update or confirm your personal information.
Community West Bank will never advise a customer via email. If you are uncertain of any email that you receive, which appears to be sent from, or on behalf of, Community West Bank, please contact our Customer Service Department at (800) 298-1775. You may provide a copy of the wording to Customer Service, but please delete any sensitive data.
Vishing is also known as "voice phishing," vishing attacks attempt for you to provide personally identifiable information either over the phone or by using the phones Internet browser. Vishing schemes involving a phone call are often directed to an automated "bank" greeting that prompts the caller to provide credit card or bank numbers.
Community West Bank will never request your debit card number over the phone but will use methods to verify and substantiate your ownership. All of our calls to customers will be identified as Community West Bank. If you receive a call requesting your debit card number or any other personal banking information, please contact Customer Service at (800) 298-1775.
- Community West Bank will never ask for your sensitive information in a text message.
- Do not open links or attachments in a text message from a number that you don't recognize.
- Scammer can change their number to reflect a number that you trust. If a number that appears to be trusted send you attachments through a text message, call and verify that it was actually intended for you.
ATM Skimming is a method used by criminals where they install wireless devises, called card skimmers to capture data from the magnetic stripe on the back of an ATM card. Devises used are small and often fastened in close proximity to, or over the top of the ATM’s factory-installed card reader.
The best way to protect yourself against ATM Skimming is to make sure your credit or debit card stays in sight whenever possible. Limiting the amount of time your card is unattended in someone else’s possession (i.e. waiter, salesperson, etc.) will reduce the risk of ATM Skimming. Since this is not always possible, pay close attention to your card statements and make sure there are no unauthorized charges. If a card-reading machine looks tampered with or altered, use caution and alert the management of the establishment.
If you find that you may have been a victim of ATM Skimming, please call our Customer Service Department as soon as possible at (800) 298-1775.
Many forged emails will ask you to supply, confirm or update personal information by clicking a link in the email. The link will connect you to a web page or login that appears to belong to the company mentioned, but it is merely a “spoofed” site that is illegitimate. The spoof may be a pop-up window or an embedded image over the actual site. The goal of the criminals is to get you to enter your personal data so they can steal your information.
Community West Bank will never ask you for personal or sensitive information via email. We advise our customers to never reply to or open any attachments from unsolicited emails. We also advise to never respond to emails requesting your password, login or any financial information. If you have provided sensitive information online or feel that you have been a victim of spoofing/pharming, please contact our Customer Service Department at (800) 298-1775.
Card Cracking
Card cracking is a form of fraud where consumers respond to an online solicitation for "easy money" and provide a debit card for withdrawal of fake check deposits.
The best way to protect yourself from Card Cracking is to never respond to online solicitations that request your card number, PIN number or any of your account information. If you see any suspicious solicitations online, report them immediately to the website administrator and contact our Customer Service Department at (800) 298-1775.
