AUGUSTA — If you get a text message telling you to provide details about your bank or credit union account, don’t answer it.

That is the word from the Maine Bureau of Financial Institutions at the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation.

According to the agency, people have been receiving text messages on their cell phones that lead the consumer to believe that their bank or credit union is making them aware of a problem with their account.

Superintendent, Lloyd LaFountain, said the scammers “urgently request” account and other personal information in order to ‘fix” the non-existent problem.

But the only “fix” achieved if the consumer supplies their account numbers is likely a depleted bank account.

“The Bureau of Financial Institutions reminds consumers to look out for this scam and not to divulge bank or credit union account numbers or other personal information by text, phone or email,” LaFountain said.

He said customers of several banks and credit unions have received the text message, which does not contain the name of any particular institution, and appears randomly sent to cell phone numbers without targeting consumers at any particular institution.

“Banks and credit unions will not text, call, or email customers asking them to divulge account numbers, pins or social security numbers,” LaFountain said.


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