Almost got scammed by a 'BMO' call – Heads up!

Seeking Advice
1

I bank with BMO and just got a call that felt off. The caller said they were from BMO’s fraud department and someone tried to Zelle over $1,000 from my account. Sounded serious, but something didn’t feel right. I did a quick reverse phone lookup and, sure enough, it came up as BMO’s customer service line.

They transferred me to ‘fraud,’ but the call disconnected. I called BMO directly, and turns out it was a scam – someone spoofing BMO’s number to trick people.

Heads up: If you get one of these calls, don’t give remote access to your account or hand out gift cards. Trust your gut!

2

I worked in banking for 35 years. Trust your gut – people who get scammed usually ignore that feeling. Good catch.

3

Thayer said:
I worked in banking for 35 years. Trust your gut – people who get scammed usually ignore that feeling. Good catch.

Honestly, OP got lucky the line disconnected. If it hadn’t, who knows? Best thing is to hang up and call your bank directly. Never rely on the number that called you.

4

@Penny
I probably would’ve figured it out pretty quickly. Still, better safe than sorry.

5

Why do people always blame the banks, but not phone companies for letting their numbers get spoofed? It’s wild.

6

Del said:
Why do people always blame the banks, but not phone companies for letting their numbers get spoofed? It’s wild.

Phone companies never promised their numbers couldn’t be spoofed. They just provide the service. It’s like blaming them for email spam. Same with SMS codes – banks use them, but the phone companies didn’t say they’re bulletproof.

7

@Bright
Exactly. The phone network was never built to stop this kind of fraud. There’s no magic switch to make spoofing go away.

8

Del said:
Why do people always blame the banks, but not phone companies for letting their numbers get spoofed? It’s wild.

Totally agree! By now, everyone should know not to share PINs or passcodes, but people still do. And yeah, phone companies probably COULD stop spoofing, but they don’t. Congress should be pushing them on this.

9

@Darcy
It’s more complicated than you think. Best thing is to hang up and call the number on the back of your bank card.

10

I just got a ‘BMO’ call yesterday too! Ignored it because my phone flagged it as a potential scam. I don’t even bank with them, so clearly something shady is going on.

11

FYI – Banks don’t call from their main customer service line. Those numbers are reserved for incoming calls.

12

Honestly, if the call hadn’t disconnected, you might’ve fallen for it. Banks don’t call out of the blue like that. Always hang up and call the fraud department directly.

13

I’ve worked fraud for 10 years – this scam ruins people’s lives. Remind your friends and family, especially older ones, to hang up on these calls. Banks never call from their public service numbers.

14

Thanks for the heads-up. If I get one of these calls, I’m hanging up and calling the bank directly. Too many scammers out there trying to take people’s hard-earned money.

15

I work in fraud at a major bank – we NEVER ask for gift cards or remote access. Rarely, banks might call, but there will always be a record. Best bet: hang up and call the number on the back of your card.

16

Always call your bank using the number from your statement or the back of your card. Better safe than sorry.