Bank Account Security

Bank of the Southwest is aware of media coverage of merchants investigating the theft of credit and debit card data from its stores. Please, be sure to monitor your accounts closely for any unauthorized charges.

Bank of the Southwest proactively monitors your account(s) with industry-leading fraud protection measures. At this time, you do not need to contact Bank of the Southwest to see if your card was impacted.

Know that fraud does not actually have to occur on your account for us to use these measures on your behalf. We take these proactive steps to help minimize any occurrence of fraud and protect all our customers.

Should I cancel my card? At this time, there is no need to cancel your card. You can continue to use your Bank of the Southwest debit card as you normally would. Please remember to monitor your account closely and notify us immediately if you become aware of unauthorized charges. We are always working to help protect your financial information.

What should I do if I see suspicious charges on my account? Monitor your account(s) and review your monthly statements carefully. You should notify Bank of the Southwest promptly if you see any unauthorized activity.

Be aware of current prevalent scams. It is important to be aware of current scams that are often used to trick people into giving the account information. Following are list of ones to watch for:

• Text Message Scam Bank of the Southwest will never send you a text message requesting you to click on a link to review account or loan details. If you receive a similar text message, delete it and contact the bank immediately to report it.
• Gift Card & Computer Alert Scam You may receive calls from someone saying they are representatives of Bank of the Southwest calling to report fraud asking you to give gift card number(s) or other information over the phone. You may also receive an alert/warning on your computer, indicating that the account could not be closed until a number included on the alert was called. These are malicious attempts to gain access to your account(s) and personal information.
• New Phone Scam You may receive calls from a number not associated with Bank of the Southwest with a pre-recorded message stating they are Bank of the Southwest and they need you to call back, This is a common fraud attempt and we will not leave pre-recorded messages. Also remember = Bank of the Southwest will never call, text, or email you to request your account or card number!
• Phone Scam You may receive a call with a message that there is a problem with the your Bank of the Southwest debit card. It may prompt you to type in your debit card number and other personal information. THIS IS FRAUD! Please hang up immediately if you receive an automated call, or a call from a live person, if they ask you for ANY account information. Bank of the Southwest will never call and ask you for account numbers, debit card numbers or any other related information. If for some reason we called you, we would already have that information! Unfortunately, this type of scam is fairly common. However, during the Holiday Season these type of things may be more frequent.
• IRS Phone Scam Scammers may be trying to get your Social Security numbers, account information or passwords. Criminals are able to fake or “spoof” caller ID numbers to appear to be anywhere in the country, including from an IRS office. This prevents taxpayers from being able to verify the true call number. Fraudsters also have spoofed local sheriff’s offices, state Department of Motor Vehicles, federal agencies and others to convince taxpayers the call is legitimate. If you receive a phone call claiming to be from the IRS, please keep the following in mind. The IRS (and its authorized private collection agencies) will never:
  • Call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. The IRS does not use these methods for tax payments. Generally, the IRS will first mail a bill to any taxpayer who owes taxes. All tax payments should only be made payable to the U.S. Treasury and checks should never be made payable to third parties.
  • Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have the taxpayer arrested for not paying.
  • Demand that taxes be paid without giving the taxpayer the opportunity to question or appeal the amount owed.
  • Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.