AMARILLO POLICE DEPARTMENT
MEDIA/PUBLIC RELEASE
DATE: October 15, 2019
TIME:
CASE NUMBER:
INCIDENT TYPE: Bank Scam
OFFICER SUBMITTING RELEASE:Sgt. Carla Burr/PIO
DETAILS:
The Amarillo Police Department was contacted by Amarillo National Bank, letting us know of a scam that was targeting their customers. We were advised that several ANB customers received phone calls from someone claiming to be with the fraud department of Amarillo National and they had even spoofed the bank’s phone number for the caller ID. They told the customers that there had been fraud on their online account. Several customers were convinced to give the scammer their banking information including account passwords and PIN’s.
Scammers continue to get smarter and as we learn, they do also. If you have any credit cards or bank cards, you must protect yourself and your credit. Please remember that a bank or credit company is not going to call you and ask you for that information. Also, if you’re not sure, then you look up the number and you call your financial company before you give them any sensitive information over the phone.
A frequent tactic used by scammers is to threaten you with bad things happening if you don’t give them the information they are requesting. They will also do everything they can to keep you on the phone. They don’t care if they take your life savings, so you have to be diligent and protect your identity and personal information.
If you have not had a monetary loss due to a scam there is no reason to contact a law enforcement agency. You can go on the Better Business Bureau website and report it through their scam tracker. If you have been the victim of a scam you can call the police department or go to the Amarillo Police Department webpage to report it.
Also, if your group or organization or business would like more information on how to protect yourself/employee/family member/friends from scams, contact our Crime Prevention/PIO office at 378-4257, and we will be happy to talk to your group and answer any questions you might have.
