During these difficult times, fraudsters are relentless with their attempts to defraud individuals and organizations. In fact, the FTC has reported that Americans have lost nearly $12 million on coronavirus-related scams to date. The surge of teleworking has increased the vulnerabilities to corporate networks by hackers. Common schemes you should be aware of are:Fake emails that appear to be from trusted entities such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the FBI, the US Postal service or other government agencies. These fake emails contain files with computer viruses or links that request your personal information […]
Archives for 2020
SBA Provides Guidance on PPP Loans for Self-Employed, Independent Contractors
Update, Friday April 24th: The Small Business Administration has announced that it will begin accepting applications for the second round of Paycheck Protection Program loans on Monday, April 27 at 10:30am. We plan to begin accepting applications again at that time. Please watch this website and your email for additional information on Monday morning. Thank you for your business. We are all in this together. On April 16th, the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that the funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) has been fully exhausted and they are no longer accepting applications. While there is a possibility that Congress […]
Sister Banks Among First Banks to Donate to the New Hampshire Nonprofit Response Fund
Sister banks, Meredith Village Savings Bank (MVSB), Merrimack County Savings Bank (the Merrimack) and Savings Bank of Walpole are the first three banks to contribute to the New Hampshire Nonprofit Response Fund with a combined tax credit purchase of $150,000. The NH Response Fund is providing nonprofit organizations with resources of up to $100,000 for working capital, equipment purchases and programming expenses. Supported by donations from businesses in exchange for tax credits and flexible loan funds from the Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA) and the Business Finance Authority (BFA), the NH Nonprofit Response Fund is providing resources to qualifying community-based […]
Beware of Fraud Related to Coronavirus Economic Impact Payments
As the U.S. Treasury rolls out their Coronavirus Economic Impact payments as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, its anticipation has heightened fraud and scams. The Treasury plans to send payments to most Americans in April. While most will not need to take any action to receive the payment through direct deposit, this is only true if the Treasury has your information on record from previous tax filings. If the Treasury does not have your information on file, there will be an option to provide it to them through a web-based portal, unless a paper […]
Avoid Fake Flash Pop-Up Scams
We have seen an increase in instances for fake flash pop-ups such as the “Fake Flash Player Update”, which tricks people into downloading software, only to wreak havoc on their systems and networks. This scam is distributed through deceptive and unofficial websites that imitate real products. With an uptick in people working from home, we advise that you remain vigilant. It is always good practice to first check with your IT department before downloading any applications or software updates. You also should be careful not to do this on your home computer. If you are concerned that you may have […]
Jessica Ruel Promoted to Lead MVSB’s Laconia Office
Jessica Ruel has been promoted to the new Branch and Business Development Manager of our Laconia location. In this position, Jessica oversees our branch office on 379 Main Street in Laconia, across from Vista Foods. She replaces Eric Petell who was recently promoted to Mortgage Loan Originator. “Jessica has been a familiar face to the Lakes Region community for more than 18 years,” said Marcus Weeks, Senior Vice President and Retail Banking Officer. “Her leadership, knowledge and expertise empowers employees, while her warmth and competency endears her to customers. She will excel in this position.” Jessica joined MVSB in 2001 […]
Beware of “Zoom-Bombing” and Malicious Attacks on Video Conferencing Software
Our Risk Management Department have received reports of an increase in malicious attacks on video conferencing software such Zoom and WebEx. The use of video conferencing has increased significantly in recent weeks, as the COVID-19 health crisis has forced many of us to work from home. The convenience of video-conferencing has proven invaluable at this time, as it allows for face-to-face communication, while following social distancing best practices. Despite its conveniences, hackers have found ways to cause disruptions. Known as “Zoom-bombing”, hackers have been able to infiltrate some Zoom meetings to upset participants by shouting profanity and/or racial slurs, or […]
Portsmouth branch office temporarily reducing hours
In our continuing efforts to provide a safe environment for both our employees and our customers in responding to the COVID19 pandemic, we have made the decision to temporarily reduce the hours of operation, of our Portsmouth branch office. We will be operating this week through Friday on our current schedule for drive-up hours. Beginning Saturday, April 11th the Portsmouth office drive-up will be open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8:00am through 5:30pm. We look forward to moving back to our six day a week schedule as the pandemic subsides. Portsmouth customers can still reach a live staff member […]
Carmen Lorentz Joins Board of Directors
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Carmen Lorentz to our Board of Directors. A Lakes Region native and resident of Belmont, Carmen currently serves as the Executive Director of Lakes Region Community Developers (LRCD). LRCD helps the Lakes Region thrive by developing healthy homes, creating vibrant community assets and engaging residents. Founded in 1988 as the Laconia Area Community Land Trust, LRCD has developed 365 healthy and affordable rental homes in Ashland, Gilford, Laconia, Meredith, Tilton and Wolfeboro. In 2017, LRCD expanded their mission to include new types of real estate development and new programming that empowers residents […]
Beware of Fraudulent Emails About Insurance Coverage for COVID-19
The cybersecurity company Phishlabs has alerted us to a COVID19 related fake insurance scam. Criminals are sending emails that claim to be from an insurance company and indicate the recent purchase of COVID19 related insurance coverage. The email recipient is prompted to click on a link to access a billing statement. That link brings the victim to a fake login screen intended to steal their personal information or login information and/or trick them into downloading viruses and malware. Whenever you receive an unexpected email, such as one for COVID19 coverage you did not purchase, do not click on any of […]
