After my post on GTbank information about how their customers can spot fake credit or debit bank alerts on Facebook, I thought it would be wise if I made a blog post on how to identify such fake alerts for other banks.
It has become known over time that one skill internet scammers lack is attention to detail.
Therefore, it is very difficult for you to fall prey to scammers if you are someone who pays attention to details.
Thorough observation is the key to identifying fake things in today’s internet world. Because the difference between the original and fake is no longer as obvious as it should be.
To identify fake credit or debit bank alerts, you must, first of all, get used to the look and feel of the original bank alerts you receive from your bank.
Remember, your ignorance is a blessing to scammers. This is why you should try as much as you can to up your cybersecurity knowledge game.
It is no longer news that scammers can send messages to you, like your bank, friends, and family. Phone numbers and SMS spoofing are not new. So, whether it is possible to receive fake alerts shouldn’t be part of the discussion now.
There are four key places you should pay attention to while trying to spot a fake bank alert.
If you are someone who uses your phone’s alert tone to confirm alerts you receive or look at the amount received without checking the balance, you better try as much as you can to verify these four aspects of the alert.
Four Key Places to Look to Spot Fake Credit/Debit Bank Alerts
1. The bank name (Check the Original Alert First to Detect fake credit or debit alerts when they come)
It is very important that you pay attention to the bank name the message came in with. Don’t be in haste about that.
Sometimes it is difficult for scammers to spoof bank names while sending their fake alerts.
So, for them to avoid their messages being trapped by mobile network providers as spam, they will pad or remove some characters from the bank name to make it different.
For instance, if the bank name is “FirstBank”, the message might come in as “FirstBnk.” Or if it is “GTbank,” it might come in as “GTbank.” with a period at the front.
If you are not observant about how your bank name appears, you will fall victim to that.
2. Bank Account Number Title and Masking
Another place you should pay attention to is the bank account number and its title.
Most banks will mask some middle digits of your account number, leaving the last four digits open, for example, Acct: 456*****3041, while some will mask all and leave only the four digits open, like Acc:**5677.
What you should observe here is how your bank presents your numbers while you receive your normal alerts.
Make sure you count the digits, as some banks pad digits to their account number in alerts.
Instead of having 10 digits, including the masked ones, you might have 13 or 12 digits, depending on your bank.
Also, pay attention to the message title; most banks use Acct: and Acc: to indicate account numbers. Make sure you observe your bank’s rules well.
Pay attention also to the case they use, whether it is all capital letters like ACCT or Acct.
So, before you believe an alert comment on social media, just ask the receiver what bank validates some of these points.
Make sure you verify this while receiving an alert from a stranger during a transfer transaction.
3. How the Amount is Written and Its Title
Paying attention to how your bank presents the figure you receive on the alert is also very important.
This varies from bank to bank. You must observe your own.
Some banks present credit alerts as CR: NGN742,500.00, while others present them as CR: N5,100.00.
What you should observe here is the character case of the CR and DR and where they appear on the alert.
You should also take note of whether your bank adds the NGN or N symbol before the amount or not.
Related Post: One Android App that can Put Your Bank Account in Danger
4. Your bank balance
Another place you should pay attention to is your balance. That is the total amount in your account after the deposit was made.
Make sure the amount on your bank account is updated. Don’t be one of those who verify bank alerts by just looking at the amount deposited.
Also, observe how your bank presents the figure on the alert to be sure the balance update is real.
Remember, some fake bank alerts do not update your balance, while others do. So you will still have to check with your bank to confirm if the money is there, depending on the transaction. Activating email alerts is also important for tracking your balance.
Remember, it is not a question of if you will get attacked using fake credit or debit bank alerts; it is a question of when.
Take a good look at your own bank’s original credit or debit alerts ahead of time to be able to spot fake ones when they come.
Observe also the character cases used by your bank, where they use capital and small letters. It will also be helpful in identifying fake alerts.
Many fell victim to an online scam on social media because they were deceived by a fake alert.
Always be vigilant. Cyberspace is not a safe place to play ignorance.
