Ways to protect yourself and bank account from fraud

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Financial experts warn that they have seen advances in fraud that have recently targeted Oklahomans.

Threats to your bank account can come when you least expect it and you might not even know it was a scam.

"They keep evolving and they might do it one time and then do it a different way the next," said Annette Leeth, VP of Compliance at True Sky Credit Union.

Leeth said her credit union has been constantly monitoring and training for possible threats to its customers.

"A big key for us is we get together with other financial institutions and other merchants and the police and federal law enforcement on a monthly basis,” said Leeth. “We all share what's going on, the current fraud trends, and that helps keep us safe in a lot of ways."

Most attempts to access your bank information will come from phone calls, emails, text messages, and letters in the mail. Leeth said advances in technology, like AI, have started to pose more problems.

She said there are simple ways to minimize risks; check your statement often, make sure you use strong passwords, sign up for credit monitoring, and never send money to someone you don’t know through a payment app, like Zelle or Cash App.

When you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from your bank, Leeth said to be cautious.

"Being able to say, you know what, I'm going to stop for just a second. I'm going to go ahead and I'm going to hang up and I'm going to call you back," said Leeth. “Make sure you actually call your financial institution’s number to make sure that you get a hold of somebody at your financial institution is key to protecting yourself.”

She said most importantly, if you find yourself a victim of fraud file a police report. “That's how we can actually prosecute the fraudsters," said Leeth.