Our Fraud Management Team offers the following tips to protect yourself from criminals looking to steal your identity and/or your money: Review your credit and online banking regularly. Contact your bank immediately if you notice anything unexpected. Do not open emails you are not expecting. Do not click on pop-ups or gift ads. If you’re not sure a phone call you received is legitimate, hang up and call them back on a confirmed number directly. You’ll likely find their contact information on their website or on your account statement. Do not provide personal or financial information over the phone unless you […]
Archives for 2021
MVSB Ranked #1 in Carroll County Mortgage Sales
We are proud to have been recognized by The Registry Review for Top Mortgage Sales in Carroll Country in 2020. Our experienced lending team continued to serve the needs of our community for home purchases and home refinancing, despite the challenges and uncertainties of 2020,” noted Mark Danahy, Senior Vice President, Residential Retail Lending. “We helped so many of our neighbors achieve their homeownership goals that we remained the top mortgage providers in the local communities we serve.” In addition to taking the lead for mortgage sales, other noteworthy rankings included:#2 in dollar volume for single-family home loans #2 in […]
Check the Status of Your Economic Impact Payment with the IRS Get My Payment Tool
The US Treasury has begun to deliver the third round of Economic Impact Payments (EIP) to eligible Americans. For most recipients, no action is necessary to receive your payment, it will automatically be deposited into the account you normal receive your tax refund to. The IRS will also be issuing payments via paper checks and prepaid debit cards to certain recipients. You can find out when and how your Economic Impact Payment was sent using the IRS Get My Payment tool. For more information on EIP Economic Income Payments and eligibility requirements, visit www.irs.gov.
Are Your Mobile Apps Eavesdropping on You?
It’s no secret that companies capture information about what you are looking at online and use it to target advertising messages. This includes what you click on, how long you are on a website, your social media activity, and demographics, as well as what you search for. But did you ever wonder if the apps you are using could be watching too? Seeing an ad for a product you were chatting with a friend about probably isn’t just a coincidence. The apps you use day-to-day often require consent to access pictures, videos, and the microphone on your phone. While this […]
Mutual Benefits National Pet Day Savings and Photo Contest
Mutual Benefits is showering members – and their furry friends – with savings in April! Start looking through those albums, the 2nd National Pet Day Photo Contest starts on April 1st. Submit your favorite photo of your pet(s) by email or mail for a chance to win a Petco eGift Card up to $250. Don’t forget to visit the website to see the contestants and vote for your favorite! $5 for every photo submitted will be donated to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Also in April, members save 25% on $25 on eGift Cards to […]
Federal Income Tax Filing and Contributions Deadline Extended to May 17
The Internal Revenue Service has extended the federal income tax filing due date for individuals for the 2020 tax year to May 17, 2021; automatically extending the contribution deadline for dual Retirement Accounts (IRA), Health Savings Accounts (HSA), and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts (ESA) to the same date. Despite the extension, the does urge taxpayers who are due a refund to file as soon as possible. Most tax refunds associated with e-filed returns are issued within 21 days. For more information or for a list of Frequently Asked Questions, visit www.irs.gov.
1099-G Unemployment Compensation Form Scams
The National Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force (NUIFTF) has issued an alert warning the public about the issuance of erroneous 1099-G forms. 1099-G forms are issued to recipients of certain government payments, including unemployment compensation. Since unemployment insurance (UI) is taxable income, the State Workforce Agency (SWA) issues 1099-G forms to UI and Internal Revenue Service recipients to report the amount of taxable unemployment compensation received. If you receive a 1099-G form you are not expecting, it might mean that an identity thief fraudulently received benefits using your identity. Taxpayers who receive a 1099-G form for benefits they did not […]
New Hampshire Housing Launches Community Heroes Homebuyer Initiative
In appreciation of the vital services that New Hampshire’s essential frontline workers have been providing during the COVID-19 pandemic, New Hampshire Housing has launched a special initiative to help them become homeowners. The new Community Heroes Initiative provides a $3,000 closing-cost credit to eligible first-time homebuyers who finance through one of New Hampshire Housing’s Plus mortgage programs. The Community Heroes Initiative closing-cost credit is only available with one of New Hampshire Housing’s Plus loan programs.
IRS Issues EIP FAQs as Direct Deposits Begin Moving
The IRS has announced that the third round of economic impact payments will begin reaching Americans this week, with some direct deposit payments arriving as soon as this past weekend. “Additional batches of payments will be sent in the coming weeks by direct deposit and through the mail as a check or debit card. The vast majority of these payments will be by direct deposit,” the IRS said. “Some Americans may see the direct deposit payments as pending or as provisional payments in their accounts before the official payment date of March 17.” The IRS added that it would update its Get […]
Economic Impact Payment Fraud
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) recently issued an advisory regarding fraudulent COVID-19 Economic Impact Payments (EIP). U.S. authorities have identified numerous EIP-related fraud schemes such as: Fraudulent Checks: Fraudulent checks are mailed to victims, instructing the recipients to call a provided number to cash the fraudulent relief checks. Victims are asked to provide personal or banking information to speed up their relief payments. Altered Checks: Fraudsters have begun depositing altered EIP checks, often via ATMs or by mobile deposit. The altered checks often have the payee chemically altered to enter a new payee, or the payee line is left […]
