Several Pinnacle clients have recently reported attempted fraud on their debit cards from people claiming to represent Pinnacle. Here is how it seems to work:

• A scammer calls and says they’re from Pinnacle. They say there may be suspicious activity on the client’s debit card and that they need to prove their identity.
• Around the same time as the call, the client receives an email, also claiming to be from Pinnacle, that looks like this:
  
• The scammer then asks the client to give them the “Activation Code” from the phony email.

In reality, this activation code will authorize the client’s debit card on the scammer’s digital wallet, like Apple Pay or Google Pay. If they’re successful, fraudulent transactions start coming in very quickly.

Here’s what to do:

• If you receive a call claiming to be from Pinnacle that is reporting suspicious activity on your card, you can verify that it’s actually from Pinnacle by hanging up and calling our Client Service Center to verify it.
  • Always use the phone numbers on PNFP.com to reach our offices and Client Service Center. If someone on the phone or in an email tells you to call a different number instead, it’s likely fraud.
• Remember that if you get an email claiming to be from Pinnacle that reports suspicious activity on your card, that email will never contain an authorization code.
  • We will also never contact you to ask for sensitive information about yourself or your account.
  • When you call Pinnacle, we may ask questions to verify your identity. But we will never proactively reach out and ask you to provide a password, PIN, full social security number or other sensitive info.
• If you receive a suspicious call or email, you can always call our Client Service Center to verify its authenticity and/or report a fraud attempt.

If you receive an email about adding a card to a digital wallet that you did not initiate, call our Client Service Center to report it.