(Memphis) – The text messages seem to have started last week, hitting cell phones with a Regions Bank Alert.
The text says ‘your card has been temporarily deactivated. Please call Regions Card Services to re-activate.’
Lea Lawrence got the text Friday night.
“The fact the way the text looked, it looked like it was official,” says Lawrence.
She knew something was up since she doesn’t even have a Regions account.
“So then I called the number it suggested I call. It sounded like a legitimate number. It said thank you for calling Regions Card Services,” says Lawrence.
Regions Bank says it’s a fraudulent message and not from them. It appears the text went out mainly to folks in Memphis.
Several people called News Channel 3 after getting the same text.
Some of them called the number listed, a number with a 901 area code.
That’s Red Flag #1 – a bank will usually have a 1-800 number for you to call about account information.
When they called they were told to enter their credit card number.
That’s Red Flag #2 – Regions says it won’t ask for your account number information via text or email.
The bank urges customers to use their basic instinct and don’t follow the link or call the number. Call the bank directly.
“A lot of people that were affected by this and had their information compromised, those are ones I feel the worse for,” says Lawrence.
If your debit or credit cards are compromised, VISA has zero liability, so your loses will be covered.
You can also file a police report if you feel you have been the victim of fraud.
As for where this phishing started and who is behind it, Regions will only say its investigation is on-going.
