A fake text purporting to be a Bank of America fraud alert is the starting point of WFSB’s October 13 report on bank impersonation. The Connecticut station interviewed the American Bankers Association’s fraud and cybersecurity executive, Paul Benda, about how a reassuring offer to protect an account can become a scam.
Benda described a sequence in which a recipient rejects a supposed purchase, then receives a call from someone claiming to represent the bank. The caller’s displayed number may appear legitimate. In the station’s account, the warning signs include demands for an online-login passcode or instructions to move funds to another account.
The association’s 2026–27 Banks Never Ask That campaign adds material on artificial intelligence and deepfakes, alongside familiar warning signs such as unexpected contact, secrecy and pressure to act immediately. The ABA says a convincing voice or video should not replace independent verification.
The campaign began its yearlong outreach October 1 for Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Its public website offers examples, videos and quizzes; the association also provides English and Spanish materials to participating banks. WFSB’s Tuesday report is a fresh Connecticut examination of that campaign, rather than evidence that it launched Tuesday.
For a suspicious bank call, Benda recommends ending the contact and reaching the bank through the number on the back of a debit card. The ABA similarly advises using a known, trusted channel to verify an unexpected request before responding or sending money.
The reviewed sources do not identify a new Eastern Connecticut victim or quantify local losses. The immediate value for area customers is recognizing the impersonation pattern and checking a message independently, without assuming an incoming caller ID proves the caller’s identity.