Beware: Scams Impersonating Your “Bank”

Please be aware that scammers may use several methods to try to steal your personal info.

Text scams impersonating your bank:

You receive a text that appears to be from your credit card issuer or bank informing you of a problem, and you are asked to click on a link or provide personal information to resolve it. However, it’s not from Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company. Text phishing, also known as smishing, tries to trick you into providing personal information and/or installing malware that steals your personal information. 

• If you think a text is suspicious, don’t respond or click on any links.
• Always sign in to Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company’s page directly. Fraudsters can design fake log-in pages that instead send your password to the fraudster, which is called phishing.
• Never share a temporary access code via text or phone call. Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Co. will NEVER ask you to share this code.
• If you suspect someone is posing as Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company, you can report it by emailing marketing@gulfbank.com. 

Phone scams impersonating your bank:

You receive a phone call claiming to be from Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company, a credit card provider, or a government institution asking for your personal information to resolve an issue with your account. However, this is actually a scammer trying to steal your personal information to access your account.

• Fraudsters may ask you to tell them a one-time access code you receive via text message, claiming that they will use it to resolve the issue. However, this gives them access to your account. Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company will never ask you to share this access code.
• Fraudsters may also use spoofing to change their caller ID or phone number, making them appear to be Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company.
• If you suspect a caller is pretending to be Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company, don't hang on, hang up! Stop the call and dial Gulf Coast Bank & Trust at 1-800-223-2060 or (504) 561-6124.

Additional info from the FCC regarding phone spoofing:

Additional links:

Fraud Protection
Fraud Text Alerts for Debit and Credit Cards
Positive Pay Reminder