CHECK WEBSITE AUTHENTICITY
The website wab.bank presents itself as the official online portal of West Alabama Bank (WAB), offering personal and business banking services, online banking, mobile deposit, bill pay, and other typical features of a community bank. On its “About Us” page the institution claims to have been founded in 1944 as the Bank of Reform in Pickens County, Alabama, and states it now holds assets of more than $913 million across fourteen full-service offices in ten counties.
Despite these claims and the fact that the domain uses the “.bank” top-level domain, which is generally reserved for verified financial institutions, there are reasons to examine the legitimacy of the site carefully. For example, the site appears on with a note that the domain’s owner identity is hidden in the WHOIS database and traffic is rather low, though Scamadviser still reports an “average to good” trust score.
While at first glance the site appears legitimate (valid SSL, appropriate domain TLD, realistic “About Us” section, and typical banking features), there are multiple reasons to treat it cautiously and consider the possibility that it may be a scam—or at least that it may present higher risk than a regulated, well-known international bank. Let’s unpack:
The “.bank” domain suggests that the operator has undergone some verification by the registry (via fTLD) and meets certain domain security standards. This is a stronger indicator than many scam sites using generic domains.
The website content is detailed: it provides history (since 1944), physical address, service lists, calculators, security tips, etc. It includes disclaimers and a privacy policy. For example, the site says: “Your Security Matters to Us. Remember, West Alabama Bank will never ask for your password or personal information by phone, text or email.” WAB Bank+1
Their “About Us” page claims assets of over $913 million, and 14 full-service offices in 10 Alabama counties. That suggests a legitimate small regional bank. WAB Bank
The hidden WHOIS registrant. While some legitimate banks choose to mask domain registration details, scam sites commonly do so to avoid traceability. The fact that Scamadviser flagged this is a caution.
The low traffic volume and absence of widespread references or scrutiny outside of local/regional context. A truly global online bank accessible internationally would likely have more reviews, ratings, or coverage.
If you are a user in Nigeria (Lagos) or outside the U.S., your deposits may not be protected by U.S. regulatory regimes unless explicitly disclosed; the site does not clearly state international reach or deposit insurance coverage for non-US customers.
The possibility that the site is impersonating or making use of the name “West Alabama Bank” to appear credible while targeting unsuspecting online depositors from other countries. Many scams adopt names of legitimate local banks to lure users.
Use of banking-like features (mobile deposit, bill pay, etc) may give an illusion of full services, but unless the bank is registered in your jurisdiction or recognized by regulatory bodies there is risk of loss.
Because the site passes some legitimate checks (domain type, service presentation, contact info) yet fails or lacks strong public verification (transparency of ownership, regulatory clarity for international users, deposit insurance breakdown), the prudent assessment is that the site should be treated as high risk. Unless you personally verify that the bank is registered with relevant U.S. state and federal banking regulatory authorities, and that your deposits are protected, stepping into deposit or major transactions with this site may be dangerous. Given your belief it might be a scam, the evidence supports treating it with extreme caution.
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In the balance of evidence, wab.bank (West Alabama Bank) falls into a grey zone where it could be a legitimate small U.S. regional bank extending online banking services — but also has several characteristics that raise serious red flags for someone outside the U.S. considering doing business with it. The domain looks authentic enough, and the website is convincingly built. However, hidden ownership, low public presence, potential mismatch of user region vs bank licensing, and lack of easily verified deposit protection make it far from assured safe.
If you are located outside the U.S. (for example in Nigeria), I would not recommend opening accounts or depositing funds with this site without further verification through:
Checking with the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or relevant U.S. state banking regulator whether “West Alabama Bank” is federally insured and holds a banking licence covering your type of transaction.
Contacting the bank using the published phone number to verify your rights and protections as a non-U.S. customer.
Ensuring you understand how your funds would be held, protected, and whether they are convertible or withdrawable internationally.
Considering using well-known globally-licensed banks with transparent regulatory oversight instead.
On the question of scam vs legitimate: while I cannot definitively prove it’s a scam, the risk level is high and the indicators lean toward caution rather than trust. If someone is promoting the site as safe for international deposits, one should treat that claim skeptically.
Domain Name: wab.bank
Registrar: EnCirca, Inc.
Created Date: 2015-06-24T00:00:05Z
Updated Date: 2025-10-16T23:58:09Z
Expires Date: 2026-06-24T00:00:05Z
Status: clientTransferProhibited
Organization: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY
State: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY
Country: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY
Raw Text: Admin Name: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Admin Organization: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Admin Street: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Admin City: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Admin State/Province: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Admin Postal Code: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Admin Country: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Admin Phone: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Admin Phone Ext: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Admin Fax: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Admin Fax Ext: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Admin Email: Please query the RDDS service of the Registrar of Record identified in this output for information on how to contact the Registrant, Admin, or Tech contact of the queried domain.
Organization: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY
State: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY
Country: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY
Raw Text: Tech Name: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Tech Organization: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Tech Street: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Tech City: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Tech State/Province: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Tech Postal Code: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Tech Country: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Tech Phone: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Tech Phone Ext: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Tech Fax: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Tech Fax Ext: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Tech Email: Please query the RDDS service of the Registrar of Record identified in this output for information on how to contact the Registrant, Admin, or Tech contact of the queried domain.
Organization: REDACTED BY USER
State: AL
Country: UNITED STATES
Raw Text: Registrant Name: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Registrant Organization: REDACTED BY USER Registrant Street: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Registrant City: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Registrant State/Province: AL Registrant Postal Code: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Registrant Country: United States Registrant Phone: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Registrant Phone Ext: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Registrant Fax: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Registrant Fax Ext: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Registrant Email: Please query the RDDS service of the Registrar of Record identified in this output for information on how to contact the Registrant, Admin, or Tech contact of the queried domain.
Name Servers: NS1.ENCIRCADNS.BANK, NS2.ENCIRCADNS.BANK
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