This includes posing as representatives from your financial institution to trick you into providing personal information. They gain your trust because the call appears to be from an institution or organization you know and trust; however, the number had been “spoofed.”
In non-technical terms, spoofing is when someone disguises a phone number so it appears to be from someone you know or trust. The intent is to trick you into responding so that you provide information that they can use for gain.
In a recent “spoofing” example, some ESL members reported that they received phone calls and texts that appeared to come from the ESL Fraud department. As part of this scam, members were asked to verify transactions, provide ATM PIN information, online banking credentials, and even credit/debit card information. This information was then used to withdraw money using fake ATM cards.
How to Tell if it’s Really ESL Calling
From time to time, we do reach out to members with a phone call. When we do, remember that we will never ask you to verify your PIN, security features on your debit/credit card, or online banking credentials.
What to do if You Think You’ve Been Affected
If you ever receive requests such as this about your ESL accounts, call our Fraud Team directly at 585.336.1140 or 888.353.9920 during normal business hours.
Tools and Tips to Help Prevent Fraud
It’s important that you keep your personal information private. Never share information like account numbers, login credentials, card numbers, or ATM PINs with anyone, especially if you did not initiate the contact.
If you would like more control over your Debit card, ESL has a new app to help with Debit card management called ESL Card Control. It allows you to turn your ESL Debit Card on or off if you lose or misplace it. The app also allows you set alerts for transaction amounts, as well as certain categories of purchases—putting more control in your hands to help keep your account more secure.
ESL also offers alerts via text and email for withdrawals, deposits, and balance updates for members using ESL Online Banking. Here’s how to set up these alerts:
- Sign into ESL Online Banking
- Select My Settings in the upper right corner
- Select Alerts & Notifications in the bottom section of the page
Should you receive an alert for a transaction you did not make, contact the ESL Fraud department as soon as possible to protect your card and account. Call us at 585.336.1140 or 888.353.9920.
For more information on how to protect against fraud:
