Enid bank customers targeted by scam

Enid residents were scammed after thieves used text messaging to steal their money.

Monday, August 11th 2008, 2:08 pm

By: News 9


Bank Scam Tactics

  • Phishing – scammer blindly sends a fake message seeking personal and financial information.
  • Smishing – similar to phishing except in the form of a text message.
  • Vishing – scammers use automated dialers to send out recorded phone messages in hopes of hitting the targeted banks customers.
  • Source: Enid Police Department

By Jacqueline Sit, NEWS 9

ENID, Okla. -- Enid residents were scammed after thieves used text messaging to steal their money.

Enid Police said the thieves were able to steal the money by pretending to be different banking institutions.

Glenda Green, her son and her mother all received the same text message. Green said the sender of the text claimed to be Central National Bank of Enid, where she banks, and informed Green that her account had been blocked for security reasons.

The text then prompted Green to call (866) 281-9288.

When Green called the toll free number, a request for her account number was prompted. Green became suspicious and hung up before disclosing her information. She noticed the text was sent at 8 p.m., which meant her bank was closed at the time the text was sent.

The scam targeted customers of the Central National Bank of Enid.

"We had about 50 calls, so you double that, that's probably how many people got it if not more," Capt. Dean Grassino said.

Authorities said the text messaging scam, known as smishing, is a new tactic thieves derived from the old scheme of phishing.

"It's the first time we've seen it in Enid,"Grassino said. "This is just a newer version of the e-mail program. They'll change it up. Next week, it'll be a different bank and the number is going out to people again."

CNBE President Brud Baker said the incident isn't the first time thieves tried to scam the bank, the cons tried to steal information from the bank last week.

"Nobody is stealing information from us," Baker said. "They're just sending it out randomly and hoping 20 to 30 people that unfortunately give them information."

The number traced back to the text has been disconnected.

According to Baker, in the last scam, all the withdrawals were taken from ATMs in New York City.

CNBE is helping people who disclosed their personal information.

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