Criminals also create fake bank websites to mislead and entice people into transferring money or disclosing personal information. Some of these fake bank websites fraudulently use the FDIC name or “Member FDIC” logo to instill a false sense of security. Sometimes, it is hard to tell which websites are real and which are fakes. Before engaging with any website or an entity that claims to be an FDIC-insured bank, it is important to make sure that the website really belongs to an actual FDIC-insured bank.
To help you determine if a website belongs to an FDIC-insured bank, check the FDIC BankFind Suite: Find Institutions by Name & Location, a data resource on the FDIC website. You can look up banks by name or website address to verify whether they are a real FDIC-insured institution. Compare the bank name with the web address or URL. Watch for misspellings, such as letters that are out of place or where the bank name appears as a sub web address of the fake name.
The FDIC can help you verify whether a website is a fake bank or the legitimate website of an FDIC-insured bank, so contact us, and we can verify it for you. If you are in doubt or identify a suspicious website related to FDIC insurance, please contact the FDIC National Center for Consumer and Depositor Assistance (NCDA) at 1-877-ASK-FDIC (1-877-275-3342) to speak with a deposit insurance specialist or go to FDIC: Information and Support Center – Home.
If you have any questions or you are uncertain about a message, please contact us right away at 781-729-3620 and a Bank customer service representative can assist you.
