Our Cyber Security Team has notified us of a new cybercrime targeting businesses across the state. In the scheme, known as Business Email Compromise (BEC) or Email Account Compromise (EAC), hackers impersonate a known email contact, such as a vendor, a government agency or a company executive to attempt to gain unauthorized information or access to commit fraud. The hacker’s goal is to take over access to email and financial accounts in order to defraud the business of as much money as they can, as quickly as possible. Recently, several municipalities have been targeted, one falling victim and leading to […]
Consumer Alerts
Amazon Refund Scam Resurfaces
Community members are reporting a recent increase in fraudulent calls regarding Amazon refunds. Victims of the scam have indicated that an “Amazon representative” contacted them by telephone to issue a refund that they were not expecting. In some instances the representative states the refund is a result of fraud on their Amazon account and other times the customer is told they were overcharged for a previous purchase. To address the issue, the fraudster instructs the victim to sign into their computer and allow remote access. They ask them to log in to their Amazon account and show them a fake […]
Fraudsters May Call. You Don’t Have to Answer.
Con-artists, fraudsters, scammers – whichever you prefer to call them – will play on your emotions, whether it is a scare tactic or playing on our goodwill, to get the information they need to conduct the next steps of their fraudulent scheme. A common scheme for fraudsters is to contact you stating that there has been an issue with your bank account. The fraudsters may even spoof the phone number they call to look like your bank or financial institution’s phone number. To divulge information from a victim, the fraudster will ask the customer to verify themselves by providing the […]
Paycheck Protection Program Application Deadline Extended to May 31
The Small Business Administration (SBA) is currently offering Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans via local banks through May 31st as part of the the Paycheck Protection Program Extension Act. This Act allows new loan applications to the program, originally set to expire on March 31, for two more months and give the SBA 30 additional days to process loan applications made by the new May 31 deadline.
6 Tips to Protect Yourself from Fraud
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Home Warranty Frauds Being Reported
Area residents are reporting phony new home warranty final notice letters received by mail. The letters mention the mortgage company or bank where mortgage is held. The companies sending these letters use publicly available information from the county Registry of Deeds to offer their services to local homeowners, but the services are not sponsored by or associated with any bank or mortgage company. Though this practice is not illegal, it is deceptive in nature and aims to have the homeowner call believing this vendor has an affiliation with their bank or mortgage company. Once the customer calls, the vendor tries […]
