We have received reports of area consumers and businesses receiving fraudulent phone calls from scammers claiming to be employees of Intuit and Microsoft. Upon answering the call, the scammer informs the victim that he/she is owed a refund for discontinued services and, in order to process the refund, the scammer needs to remotely access the computer. Once connected, the scammer asks the customer for access to his/her online banking.
After the online banking credentials are provided, the scammer transfers funds between the victim’s accounts. Once the funds have been moved, the scammer claims that an error occurred and that too much money was deposited. The scammer then ask the victim for his/her debit card number so that the overage can be withdrawn from the account. The debit card information is used to make fraudulent withdrawals from the victim’s accounts.
Please be aware that no legitimate tech company will contact you by phone, text or email on an unsolicited basis asking for access to your computer, financial information or online banking credentials. If you receive a call like this, do not provide any information to the caller and do not provide access to your computer. If you are unsure a call you received is from a tech you normally do business with, hang up and call the company back at the number on your most recent statement.
If you ever provide information about your Meredith Village Savings Bank accounts or online banking credentials in response to a suspicious call, text, email or website, please notify us immediately so we can assist in protecting your accounts.
For more information, please visit the Federal Trade Commission’s tech support scam information page.
