Courthouse and Bank Impersonation Scams Target Southwest Oklahoma: How to Protect Yourself

Southwest Oklahoma residents are being targeted by two waves of impersonation scams, and both depend on the same thing: catching you off guard. In one, callers spoof their phone numbers to look like they’re calling from the Comanche County courthouse, then claim there’s a warrant out or a bond that must be paid immediately. In the other, scammers pose as Arvest Bank employees, following a national surge in bank impersonation fraud. The FTC reports that impersonation scams cost Americans $3.5 billion in 2025, with bank impersonators responsible for the highest reported losses of any category.

The red flags are consistent across both scams: urgent threats, demands for passwords or PINs, unexpected links, and requests to move money or grant remote access to your device. Legitimate courts and banks never operate that way. They will not call you demanding payment, they will not ask for your one-time passcode, and they will not ask you to transfer funds to“protect”them.

If you get a call like this, hang up and contact the courthouse or your bank directly using a number you look up yourself, not one the caller gives you. If you’ve already been targeted, report it to the FBI at IC3.gov. As Erin Gray, Director of Fraud Risk Management at Arvest Bank, puts it, knowing how your bank will and will not communicate with you is your strongest defense.

Have you received one of these calls in Southwest Oklahoma? Tell us what happened in the comments.