INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A realistic scam is emptying bank accounts across the country and in Indiana. In this week’s Tip of the Week, Indiana’s I-Team explains how it works. You get a call that appears to be coming from your bank.  At least, that’s what the caller ID shows. Your “bank” tells you there has been suspicious activity on your account. Once they have your attention, the scammer (posing as your bank) says you need to protect your money. They may send you a text with a link, or they’ll send you a code and ask you to read it. The text may even show up in the same thread as legitimate texts from your bank. Indiana’s I-Team has learned scammers are getting your banking information, including your user profile and password, from data breaches and on the dark web. The bad actors are also using technology to spoof phone numbers so that it appears it’s actually your bank calling. What the scammers do not have is your phone to verify it’s actually you trying to log in. That’s why the caller needs you to give them the code they sent to your phone. ‘They took all my information’ Vanessa Walker, an Indianapolis massage therapist, lost $18,000 to a sophisticated banking scam. Walker says to put a stop to the charges, the representative gave her a website to enter into her phone. “It seemed legitimate,” said Walker. The website had the Regions Bank logo, so Walker entered her user ID and password. “They were telling me if I didn’t do it, that my account was going to be locked for 90 days,” said Walker. “As a business owner, that can’t be done. I was getting very frustrated.” Just to be sure, Walker called the 1-800 Regions Bank phone number on the back of her card. “They took all my information, but I didn’t have my tax ID number because I wasn’t at my business,” said Walker. The next day, “Christina” called again about unauthorized charges on Walker’s account “She acts like she’s doing all this paperwork for me, and then she asks me, ‘What is your Tax ID number?’” said Walker. “Of course, I think it’s Regions. What is the one thing Regions always asks me? My Tax ID number.” In a twist, the caller had Walker enter * and some numbers, which forwarded her phone calls. “I said, ‘What is that?” said Walker. “She said that is so we can handle any transactions that are unauthorized.” When Walker later checked, $18,750 was gone from her business account via ACH, or electronic funds transfer. The Federal Trade Commission says imposter scams are the most common type of fraud, and people are losing more money. A new FTC report shows the number was $12.5 billion lost to fraudsters last year, a 25% increase from the prior year. In fact, the banking industry launched a campaign, “Banks Never Ask That,” to educate people about scams. The best way to protect yourself is to end the call and call the number on the back of your bank card. Scam red flags, according to the American Bankers Association Unusual caller ID: While caller ID can be spoofed, legitimate calls from your bank are more likely to display an official phone number or a known identifier. If not, be very skeptical. Scare tactics or threats: Phishing calls rely on a sense of urgency. If the caller pressures you into immediate action or threatens negative consequences, just hang up and call the number on the back of your bank card. Asking for personal information: Banks will rarely ask for your account number, personal identification number (PIN), or password during a phone call — and will never ask for a one-time login code. Never share such confidential details unless you’ve called the number on the back of your bank card. Unexpected calls: Be very skeptical of calls you receive out of the blue. Normally, bank representatives will only reach out if you initiate contact first. Stay safe by ending the call and dialing the number on the back of your bank card. ...read more read less