Social Engineering

Keeping up with the countless types of scams in the world today can be overwhelming. Social engineering scams are some of the easiest to fall victim to. Scammers are skilled at preying on the emotions of their targets, confusing them and often causing them to slip and share personal information.

The most important tip to avoid falling victim to a social engineering scam is to STOP. Stop long enough to ask yourself if you would give a stranger that you just met the information that’s being asked for over the internet, through text or by phone.

It’s also important to remember that your bank will never ask for PIN numbers, passcodes, security codes, or passwords. If we do reach out and you feel unsure, you can end the conversation and call the bank at 417-256-2147 to be sure you’re talking to us.

• Phishing – Email is used to persuade you into clicking a dangerous link or sharing your personal information.
• Pretexting – Text messages, containing a convincing story or indicating an emergency, are used to earn your trust and trick you into providing personal information.
• Smishing – Text messages meant to make you feel like you should respond or click links are used to get your information.
• Vishing – Phone calls are used to impersonate a company you may have a relationship with or trust, increasing the likelihood that you’ll share a password, bank account number or even your Social Security number.
• Baiting – A too good to be true offer in an email may be used to encourage you to download software that can be harmful to your computer or device.
• Exchanging – Beware of offers for a service that require you to provide private information. These are often believable because the scammer has done his/her homework and can tell you personal details about yourself.