# Bank Of America / Trusteer **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 13, 2023, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-of-america-trusteer/985400 "2023-06-13T02:53:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-of-america-trusteer/985400/1 "2023-06-13T02:53:01Z")
I tried to get into my BOA credit card online account today and got a message saying that online banking is not available to me at this time. I call BOA and the first person who answers tells me there’s a fraud alert on my account so I have to call a different number. I call that number and I’m told that BOA detected malware on my computer and given instructions about downloading Trusteer and running a virus scan. The phone numbers are legit and so is the Trusteer Rapport - but is it really possible for BOA to detect malware on my computer? It’s entirely possible that the person on the phone really doesn’t understand what happened - but that’s what he told me and it just seems strange to me. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-of-america-trusteer/985400/2 "2023-06-13T15:55:37Z")
Sounds highly suspicious to me. Where did you get the number you originally called? ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-of-america-trusteer/985400/3 "2023-06-13T16:06:09Z")
I doubt they detected malware on the computer, that was probably the bank employee speculating. But Trusteer Rapport is a legit software whose purpose is to better authentify the client computer (or phone, etc.) and to ensure that you’re connecting to the real bank’s site. And Bank of America apparently supports it. So it’s possible that the bank would require it for a particular account if there’s been some weird activity on the account. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-of-america-trusteer/985400/4 "2023-06-13T16:10:27Z")
> [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > Where did you get the number you originally called? From the actual BOA website and I Googled it and the results say it’s legit and the person I spoke to was able to reset the userid. I’m confident the number wasn’t a scammer. > [@Heracles](#): > > I doubt they detected malware on the computer, that was probably the bank employee speculating. This is more or less what I thought ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-of-america-trusteer/985400/5 "2023-06-13T16:13:19Z")
Yeah, I can’t imagine a website running malware detection on your computer, but it could detect if the settings in a cookie or configuration file had been changed in an unexpected way and that sets off the online access restriction. Just a guess, though. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-of-america-trusteer/985400/6 "2023-06-13T18:15:23Z")
Are you using a VPN? I could imagine some sensitive sites, especially banks, being unhappy with clients coming from an address that indicates they are hiding their actual address. (Netflix is another site that dislikes VPNs). ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-of-america-trusteer/985400/7 "2023-06-13T19:48:55Z")
That must be what it is - after reading your reply, I looked around and it seems that BOA blocks VPNs. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-of-america-trusteer/985400/8 "2023-06-13T20:55:46Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > **Yeah, I can’t imagine a website running malware detection on your computer,** but it could detect if the settings in a cookie or configuration file had been changed in an unexpected way and that sets off the online access restriction. Just a guess, though. - I was thinking userID , password being entered too soon and too fast for a human. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-of-america-trusteer/985400/9 "2023-06-13T21:16:03Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > userID , password being entered too soon and too fast for a human. And what’s “too soon and too fast” for web browser autofill? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-of-america-trusteer/985400/10 "2023-06-13T21:18:55Z")
No idea, It was speculation.