Latest scam and dangerous. ALERT

[Ms. Toad]

7. These schemes are a dime a dozen.

e-safety 101: Never click on any link that wants you to update your personal information.

If you really believe something might have come from your bank, call them using the number on the back of your bank card or navigate directly to their website on your own, preferably using a different computer - but definitely using a different browser.

I have only encountered one bank/credit card company that is so stupid as to use classic phishing schemes with an expectation that you will actually provide real information - so it is safe to assume that if you get a call/text/e-mail out of the blue from your bank, credit card company, IRS, etc. asking for account related information that it is a scam.

(The one I have encountered is a bank with a credit card division which cold calls people when a flag is thrown on the account, and requires you to provide your social security number, and confirm recent transactions and threatens to put a hold on your account if you don't provide the information. I only know it was legitimate because (1) there was a hold on my credit card and (2) I called the number on the back of the card and read them the riot act both about flagging my routine transactions as potentially fraudulent, and then using phishing schemes to "protect" me by shutting off my account when I refused to provide information to a caller out of the blue. No. I'm not still angry about it years later...really I'm not.)