News & Media

Scammers are impersonating bank call centers and fraud departments to trick victims into thinking that their actual bank is calling them. Then, the scammers ask for personal data and use it to access victims' online banking accounts.

What to Know: 

• Scammers claiming to be from Blue Ridge Bank may call and say there is a fraud alert regarding suspicious account activity that they need to confirm with you.
• Frequently, there may be a manufactured fraudulent "pending charge" to make it seem legitimate. They may claim that unauthorized access to your online banking has occurred, and they need to secure it.
• When you confirm that you did NOT make the "pending charge" or recent transactions, scammers can give you a "temporary password" to change your online banking. When you change your password to the one they gave you, they gain access to your account. 
• Another thing scammers will do is ask you to provide your online banking user ID, password, answers to your online banking security questions, or the one-time authorization code (OTP) that was sent to your phone. They may even ask you to sign into your online banking account to confirm a recent charge or credit/refund. Do not ever give personal information over the phone.
• When we call, we will NOT ask you to provide or verify your:
  • Full Social Security number
  • One-time password
  • Online banking user ID
  • Online banking password
  • Online banking security question answers

Scammers use this information to reset credentials and take over online banking accounts. Blue Ridge Bank sends emails regarding any account level changes, such as User ID and password changes to your account. If you receive an email from Blue Ridge Bank regarding these types of changes that you did not initiate, please call us immediately.

What to Do

• If you receive a call requesting any of the information above, immediately hang up and call us at (888) 331-6521. DO NOT use the number on the caller ID screen or Redial.
• Review your banking accounts daily if you receive a suspicious call like this. Account Alerts can be set up in online and mobile banking to monitor your account balance and any credits to your account.
• If you discover a fraudulent transaction on your Blue Ridge Bank account, immediately contact us at (888) 331-6521

At Blue Ridge Bank, we work to keep your accounts safe and secure, whether you're accessing them online, through an ATM, mobile device, or in one of our branches. For more information on how to keep your personal information secure, visit our Identity Protection page.