Relyance Bank is warning customers about a significant increase in fraud attempts, including a growing number of bank impersonation scams and incidents in which fraudsters have gone to customers’ homes while falsely claiming to represent the bank.
According to bank officials, the increase has occurred over the past six to eight months, with hundreds of fraud cases involving Relyance customers reported since November.
Officials said they are aware of cases in which individuals posing as bank representatives visited customers’ homes to collect debit cards or large amounts of cash.
Bank officials said scammers have increasingly shifted from attempting to access online accounts to convincing victims to withdraw cash themselves.
Some victims have lost as much as $50,000.
The bank emphasized that customers should be cautious of anyone claiming to represent a financial institution who requests personal banking information, asks them to withdraw cash or unexpectedly comes to their home.
Officials said banks generally do not send employees to customers’ homes to collect cash or debit cards.
According to the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office, reported fraud and scam losses in Arkansas have exceeded $7.3 million so far in 2026 across 250 reported victims.
The average reported loss is approximately $32,800 per victim, although the typical loss is closer to $2,000. The average victim is 63 years old.
The Attorney General’s Office attributes the rise in scams in part to increased use of email, text messaging, social media and online shopping by older adults, providing fraudsters with more opportunities to make contact.
Officials also said technologies such as artificial intelligence and caller ID spoofing have made fraudulent communications more difficult to identify.
The Attorney General’s Office noted that increased reporting has also contributed to the higher number of documented cases.
The office’s Financial Fraud Task Force works with financial institutions and consumer protection partners to identify fraud trends and investigate reports.
In response to the increase in scams, Relyance Bank has created an internal fraud task force, hired a full-time employee dedicated to fraud investigations and expanded community outreach efforts.
Bank representatives recently visited Woodland Heights Senior Center in Little Rock to educate residents about common scams and ways to avoid becoming victims.
Bank officials encourage customers to be cautious of unsolicited requests involving personal banking information or immediate payments, particularly those involving gift cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrency.
Other warning signs include requests to keep transactions secret, urgent demands for action and voice or video messages that appear to come from someone familiar but involve unusual requests.
Officials recommend that anyone who is uncertain whether a call or message is legitimate end the conversation and contact their bank directly using a known phone number before taking any action.
