Scammers Posing as Local Banks by Phone and Text

Fraudulent callers posing as Auburn State Bank employees are continuing to target Nemaha County residents, and customers at another area bank have reported suspicious text messages. A separate scheme may be targeting Nebraska business owners who received federal pandemic loans.
Auburn State Bank warned customers in an Aug. 20 Facebook post that scammers were spoofing the bank’s phone number, causing the bank’s name and number to appear on caller ID. The callers ask for passwords, PINs, security codes and debit card information, according to the post.
A teller at Union Bank & Trust said customers have reported similar calls in the past few months that appeared to come from the bank’s main customer service line.
“Caller ID cannot always be trusted,” said Seth Bingham, a vice president at Auburn State Bank. “This is happening nationwide, not just here in Auburn. We are hearing reports from other financial institutions in our networks urging customers to be on alert.”
Bingham said the bank stresses to customers that it will never call and ask for online banking credentials, a debit card number or PIN, a one-time security code, or remote access to a computer or phone. Auburn State customers who receive such a call should hang up and call the bank directly.
“We routinely tell customers to always be on alert for scammers and fraud,” Bingham said. “When in doubt, don’t give it out.”
Sara Franklund of First National Bank of Johnson said that the bank has not had customers report spoofed calls, but several have asked about text messages claiming to come from the bank in the past.
“We don’t text customers,” she said.
The calls and texts are part of a nationwide surge. Consumers reported losing $3.5 billion to impersonation scams in 2025, according to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) data released in June, and impersonation accounted for nearly one in three fraud reports the agency received. Reported losses to business impersonators totaled nearly $1 billion, and among those, callers posing as banks accounted for the highest losses. Total reported fraud losses reached $16 billion in 2025, the highest on record.
Text messages have become a common approach. Citing FTC figures, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) says bank impersonation was the most reported scam occurring through text messages in 2022, up nearly twentyfold since 2019, and that a typical consumer who fell for it lost $3,000 and was at risk for identity theft.
Older adults have been hit hardest. Reports from people 60 and older who lost $10,000 or more to impersonation scammers have increased more than fourfold since 2020, the FTC said in August 2025. Combined losses from older adults who reported losing more than $100,000 rose from $55 million in 2020 to $445 million in 2024.
The FDIC advises consumers who receive an unexpected call or message about their account to contact their bank using a number they already know, such as the one printed on the back of a debit card, or their website, rather than a number the caller or text provides.
Anyone who may have already given out information should contact their bank as soon as possible, Bingham said. Auburn State can monitor the account, shut off a debit card and issue a new one the same day. Customers should also change online banking passwords and review recent statements for small unfamiliar charges, which are often used to test whether an account is active.
A separate advisory issued by the Nebraska Bankers Association, Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, Greater Omaha Chamber, Lincoln Chamber of Commerce and NFIB Nebraska warns that scammers are using public Small Business Administration records of Paycheck Protection Program loans, which list business names, addresses, loan amounts and lenders.
In one version, callers pose as a bank fraud department and request a one-time passcode. In another, they claim a warrant has been issued for a missed court hearing and demand a cash bond. The groups said fraudsters move stolen funds by ACH transfer before the theft is detected.
Suspected fraud can be reported locally to the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office at 402-274-3139. The Federal Trade Commission’s reporting site, reportfraud.ftc.gov.