Umpqua Bank Telephone Scam

Author: Rob K. Blake | Date: September 2, 2008 | Filed In: Mortgage News

Umpqua Bank, a subsidiary of Umpqua Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: UMPQ) , reported that consumers in Oregon, including bank customers, have received fraudulent telephone calls from persons claiming to be associated with Umpqua Bank.

Umpqua Bank Warning Of Scam

“Umpqua Bank takes the security of our customers very seriously. While we do monitor card activity for customer security, and may call to verify certain account activity, we will never ask for a customer’s card number, PIN, expiration date, or 3-digit number. It is our understanding that customers of other banks have received similar phone calls. We advise anyone who has questions about whether or not they have been contacted by a scam, to contact their bank directly.

Scam Alert Overview

Fraudulent callers are contacting bank customers informing them that their debit card has been compromised and blocked. The person then proceeds to ask the customer to “press 1″ to reactivate their card, at which point the card holder’s debit card number, PIN, expiration date, and 3-digit number are requested. A similar fraudulent phone message provides customers with a phone number to call to reactivate their card.

What to Do If You Receive a Fraudulent Call
These fraudulent calls are not coming from Umpqua Bank or any of its third party processors. If consumers receive such a call, they should NOT respond. They should report the call/message by calling 1-866-4UMPQUA (1-866-486-7782). Calls appear to be originating from out of the country, and other banks are potentially experiencing the same issue.
For additional tips on how customers can protect themselves from becoming a victim of fraud and identity theft visit “ASK US” at www.UmpquaBank.com..”

The UmpquaBank.com website above was down when I checked but here’s another local news link.

Bank scammers are out in force given the chaos in the industry, so be on the look out…

Good Luck!

Author: Rob K. Blake