Customers at a local bank were the target of two new telephone scams this week.

Dianna Lee, marketing officer for Troy Bank & Trust, said the bank was made aware of two different telephone scams in the Troy area this week.

The first involves a caller asking about the customer’s mortgage loan and telling the customer that he can possibly get a lower rate.  The caller identifies himself as a representative of Troy Bank & Trust, (however, the caller says “Troy Bank Trust”), and tries to obtain personal financial information. 

The second shows that the caller is from an 850 area code and they, again, indicate that they are from Troy Bank & Trust and attempt to get information from the customer in an effort to “help get more social security benefits.”

“These are scam calls as we do not have any telephone campaigns like this currently going on,” said Jeff Johnston, Senior vice president and Chief Lending Officer.  “We would never solicit information in that way from our customers.”

Lee said banks and financial institutions continue to warn customers about ongoing scams.

“Scams are becoming more and more prevalent,” she said “Almost every day, it’s something new. Just today I received notice from a community banking association of three different scams.”

The first, she said, is a “can you hear me scam.”

“In this scam, the callers ask ‘can you hear me’ repeatedly and they record you saying ‘yes’ and use that as your approval for online purchases,” Lee said.

The second is commonly called a “romance scam,” and involves individuals developing online relationships through dating sites or services, then seeking financial gifts or support.

“And of course, there’s the phishing scheme, where customers receive an email asking them to verify their account,” she said. “Don’t ever do that, especially if you receive an email that appears to have come from a bank. “

Lee also reiterated that customers who receive suspicious phone calls or emails should reach out to the bank. “Always call your bank directly,” she said.