By Email or Text:
If you suspect that an email or text you receive is a phishing attempt:
- Take a deep breath. In most cases, opening a scam email or text is perfectly safe. Modern mail apps, like Gmail, detect and block any code or malware from running when you open an email. The key is not to click links or download attachments.
- Do not download any attachments in the message. Attachments may contain malware such as viruses, worms or spyware.
- Do not click links. Links in phishing messages direct you to fraudulent websites. These websites may look similar to CBB’s website, but it is not real.
- Do not reply to the sender. Instead, ignore any requests from the sender and do not call any phone numbers provided in the message.
- Help fight scammers by reporting them. Forward suspected phishing emails to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@apwg.org. If you received a phishing text message, forward it to SPAM (7726). Then, report the phishing attack to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
By Phone Call:
If you receive a phone call that seems to be a phishing attempt:
- Hang up or end the call. Be aware that area codes can be misleading. If your Caller ID displays a local area code, this does not guarantee that the caller is local.
- Do not respond to the caller’s requests. Financial institutions and legitimate companies will never call you to request your personal information. Never give personal information to the incoming caller.
- If you think you’ve been the victim of a scam, and you did provide personal or financial information, contact us immediately at 510-433-5400. Be sure to include any relevant details, such as whether the suspicious caller attempted to impersonate a bank employee and whether you provided any personal or financial information to the suspicious caller.
