Recently, there have been an uptick in “spoofed calls” that appear to be from the bank.
“Fraudsters use call spoofing, a technique where they falsify the information transmitted to a caller ID display to disguise their identity,” reports the FDIC Office of Inspector General. “The phone number then appears to be the bank name and the phone number associated with the bank where a business maintains an account” (FDIC OIG).
The caller then engages in social engineering tactics to gain personal information, such as a bank account number, online banking login, or other sensitive personal information. In other cases, the fraudster convinces his victims to transfer money. Often times, the caller will mention a bank staff member by name or claim to work for the bank (Gomez, 2026).
In another case reported by ABC7 Chicago, a woman received a call from a person claiming to be an FBI agent working with Chase’s fraud department. The man claiming to be an FBI agent seemed legitimate because he listed an agent number and was able to quote her account number and balance (Knowles, 2026).
The fraudster ultimately convinced his victim to transfer money to an account. It wasn’t until the next morning she realized she was defrauded (Knowles, 2026).
If you ever receive a call claiming to be from the bank that asks you to share personal information or transfer money, hang up and call the bank back on our main line, 773-685-5300.
One off the telltale signs of a scam is a sense of urgency. Scammers act with authority and ask their victims to work quicky.
If you suspect you are being set up for a scam, call the bank at 773-685-5300. Also, report the scam to the Chicago Police Department and Federal Trade Commission.
Works Cited
FDIC OIG. (n.d.). Call Spoofing Scams. Retrieved from Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General: https://www.fdicoig.gov/call-spoofing-scams.
Gomez, J. (2026, May 5). FBI warns of 'banking spoof call' scams. Here's how it works. Retrieved from USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2026/05/05/bank-spoof-call-scams-fbi/89945761007/.
Knowles, J. (2026, May 4). Sophisticated banking spoof callers drain local customers' accounts, nearly fool ABC7 anchor. Retrieved from ABC7 Chicago: https://abc7chicago.com/post/banking-spoof-scam-call-incidents-drain-chase-bank-huntington-customers-accounts-fool-abc7-chicago-anchor-rob-elgas/19039898/.