Bank of America ‘Security Alert’ Phishing Scam
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What the fact-checkers found
According to this “Security Alert” email that purports to be from the Bank of America, your account has been limited in order to protect it.
The email claims that you must click a link to activate the account and remove the limitation.
However, the email is not from the Bank of America and your account has not been limited as claimed.
Instead, the email is a phishing scam designed to steal your personal and financial information.
If you click the link in the scam email, you will be taken to a fraudulent website that has been build to emulate the genuine Bank of America website. Once on the bogus site, you will be asked to sign in with your Online ID and Passcode.
Next, you will be instructed to fill in an account update form that asks for your credit card numbers, your name and address, and other identifying information.
Finally, you will see a message claiming that you have successfully activated your account and lifted the limitation.
But, now the criminals running the scam can collect the login details that you provided and hijack your Bank of America account. They can also commit fraudulent transactions using your credit card. And, if they have managed to collect enough of your personal details, they may attempt to steal your identity as well.
Scams like this are very common. The Bank of America website includes information about identifying and reporting suspicious emails.
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