Oregon Department of Justice

Scammers posing as Bank of the Cascades officials continued to seek victims in Central Oregon today, but have switched from phone calls to text messages. The Oregon Department of Justice Consumer Hotline this afternoon received half a dozen calls about text messages telling consumers that their bank accounts had been deactivated and asking consumers to verify their bank account numbers.

This is a phishing scam. Never provide your bank account number over the phone or by email. No legitimate financial institution will call you and ask you for your bank account number or other sensitive financial information. The scammers are trying to trick consumers into turning over their bank account numbers to they can empty the bank account.

A week ago, scammers posing as Bank of the Cascades officials bombarded Central Oregon residents with phone calls seeking account information. At least one consumer fell prey to the scam and lost $515 immediately after providing their bank account number.

Anyone who believes they have been approached by a scammer should contact the Oregon Department of Justice Consumer Hotline at 1-877-877-9392 or www.oregonattorneygeneral.gov.