IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Monterey County Bank has been made aware of an active phone scam targeting our customers. In these calls, fraudsters falsely claim to be representatives of Monterey County Bank and report a large fraudulent transaction or suspicious activity on the customer's account.

The caller may instruct customers to provide security codes, one-time passcodes, or other sensitive information. In some cases, they may attempt to convince customers to change their online banking credentials or take immediate action to "protect" their account.

We have received reports that these calls may appear to originate from a legitimate Monterey County Bank phone number and that callers may impersonate bank employees.

 

⚠️ Caller ID can be spoofed. The name or number that appears on your phone is not proof the call is legitimate.

 

What Monterey County Bank Will Never Do

 

• Call you and ask for your full account number, debit card number, PIN, online banking password, or a one-time passcode.

• Ask you to share security codes sent to your phone or email.

• Pressure you to take immediate action to stop or reverse a transaction.

• Ask you to change your online banking credentials while on the phone.

• Request that you move money to a "safe" or "holding" account.

 

What to Do If You Receive a Call Like This

 

1. Hang up immediately. Do not provide any personal, account, or security information.

2. Do not follow instructions provided by the caller, including changing passwords or sharing verification codes.

3. Do not call back a phone number provided by the caller.

4. Contact Monterey County Bank directly using a trusted phone number from our website, the back of your debit card, or your account statement.

5. If you shared any information or took action at the caller's request, contact us immediately so we can help secure your account.

 

You may also report scam attempts to:

• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): https://www.ic3.gov

• Federal Trade Commission (FTC): https://reportfraud.ftc.gov

 

Remember: If you receive an unexpected call regarding your account, hang up and contact Monterey County Bank directly using a trusted phone number. Never share one-time passcodes, passwords, or other sensitive information with anyone over the phone.