Tyler

By KENNETH DEAN
Staff Writer

No one likes to receive a phone call in the middle of the night, but what if that call instructs you to provide personal banking information or have your account suspended?

Police say it is a phishing scam and that it has recently surfaced in Tyler and in the surrounding areas.

Tyler Police Department’s Public Information Officer Don Martin said the department has received numerous calls from citizens concerning a phone call from unknown persons wanting personal information about their bank account information.

“The subjects calling are using the name of Franklin Bank. The caller is stating that all assets will be frozen if the person does not provide them with the account information,” he said.

Martin said a phone number will show up on caller ID which is 903-855-3433.

“That number is a pre-recorded line from the Federal Trade Commission stating that the number is disconnected and a phishing scam, another phone number was traced back to Canada,” he said.

Martin said the scam has surfaced all over the East Texas area in the past few weeks and has involved phone calls made at 2 a.m. as well as text messages received over cell phones.

“Some people may get nervous and give up the information and that is what these people want. Once they get that then they will start doing anything they want with it,” he said.

Tyler police warn you to not give any personal information over the phone to anyone without verifying who you are giving it to and for what reason.

“It’s always better to do banking in person rather than on the phone. If you call the bank, then it’s OK, but if someone calls soliciting you, it’s better to do it in person,” he said.

This article was updated on Thursday, July 3, 2008 at 11:21 p.m. CDT.