(KLZA)-- The Nebraska Attorney General- Office is alerting Consumers to be aware of bank scams because they are on the rise. The Federal Trade Commission has reported a tenfold increase in bank scams in the last three years.

Scams usually begin as fake emails or text messages from a legitimate-sounding bank. The messages may give you a security warning or fraud alert that sounds like a time-sensitive emergency. If you respond by opening the email or clicking on the link, you may be connected to a fake website or fake bank representative. The scammers will ask you for personal information, account numbers, passwords, or PINs.

Once a scammer has obtained this information, they would have access to steal your money from your account or impersonate you for other financial transactions.

To protect yourself:

• Know that your bank will never ask you to provide or confirm personal details or confidential information via text or email.

• Look for red flags like strange formatting, typos, incorrect grammar or spelling.

• Be wary of messages that provide links, email addresses, or phone numbers that ask you to click or respond.

• Finally, do not respond to any message claiming to be from a bank that you don’t use.

When in doubt, you should contact your bank directly, and don’t use the contact information provided to you by the scammer. Make sure to inform your bank immediately if you have been scammed, and be certain to change your password and PIN.

For more information, visit our website, ProtectTheGoodLife.Nebraska.gov, or to speak to a member of our Consumer Affairs Response Team, call 402-471-2682.