Robert Steinbuch

Robert Steinbuch, the Arkansas Bar professor at the Bowen Law School, is a Fulbright Scholar and author of the treatise “The Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.” His views do not necessarily reflect those of his employer.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A new scam is popping up on screens, and banks say it’s catching people off guard.

Arvest Bank is warning customers about an increase in fraud involving unsolicited video calls that appear to be from financial institutions. The calls often begin with a text, email or phone call urging immediate action.

A spokesperson reported that scammers may claim there is suspicious activity or a technical problem, then push victims to join a video call through FaceTime or another platform, and once connected, they try to get customers to share their screen while logging in to accounts, entering passwords, or moving money.

“Scammers are always finding new ways to steal money, and that now includes video calls,” said Erin Gray, Arvest’s director of Integrated Account Protection.

Arvest urges customers to be cautious of urgent, unexpected requests, especially those asking to watch account activity in real time. The bank advises hanging up and calling back using a verified number, avoiding screen-sharing with strangers and checking accounts regularly for unusual activity.

Anyone who believes they’ve been targeted is encouraged to contact their bank and report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.FTC.gov.

Cristina LaRue

clarue@adgnewsroom.com

Cristina LaRue covers agriculture for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. She started her career as a journalist in 2017, covering business and education for the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, later covering the crime and courts beats near the U.S.-Mexico border for the USA Today network, and education for the El Paso Times. She is a graduate of Texas State University.