Bell received notification from our custodian, Charles Schwab, of a text message-based phishing attempt imitating Schwab. The phishing attempt appears to have been sent to a random set of phone numbers, not necessarily clients of Schwab or Bell Investment Advisors.
The phishing attempt was conveyed through text messages appearing to come from Schwab, but in fact the message is NOT from Schwab.
The text may have appeared like this:
The message instructs recipients to click on a link within the text message and enter their Schwab login credentials. IF YOU WERE ONE OF THE RECIPIENTS, PLEASE DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK WITHIN THE TEXT MESSAGE. The provided link is a spoof Schwab website made to look like you are logging into your Schwab accounts, in an attempt to obtain your personal information and login credentials.
If you received the text, and have not clicked on it, please delete the text. If you have opened the text, and already clicked or tapped on the link, please call us at (510) 433-1066 and ask for your Relationship Manager, or call Schwab directly at (800) 515-2157. Please be aware that Schwab is currently working on having the spoofed sites shut down. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us or Schwab if you have any questions.
If you entered your login credentials into the spoofed site, those behind the phishing attempt may have gained access to sensitive identifying information. In addition to contacting your Relationship Manager and/or Schwab, we recommend that you take advantage of the complimentary AllClearID service we provide to Bell clients and initiate steps to protect your identity. For information on how to activate this service, please visit the following page on our website:
https://bellinvest.com/news/bell-adds-additional-identity-protection-for-clients/