Keeping you safe and protected

Posted on April 14, 2021

As your trusted banking partner, we want to make sure you are aware of a current ongoing scam and also provide some helpful tips on how you can avoid being scammed.

Beware of calls or emails from scammers pretending to be from big companies like Microsoft, PayPal, or Amazon. These scammers will contact you in regards to a “refund” or “rebate” and request remote access to your home computer or other device.
Once inside, they have access to all files and information on your computer or device. They will often request that you log into your online banking in order to process the “refund” or “rebate”. What they’ll actually do is look through your banking history and transfer funds from one account to another, making it look like you received a big refund.
The scammer then pretends they’ve made an error and credited you too much money. They’ll demand that you buy gift cards for the difference and provide them the numbers on the back of the gift cards. The gift cards are then emptied by the scammer and you’ve spent your own money and can’t get it back.

Always be mindful of what information you are sharing. If you are ever nervous and unsure, ask if you can call them back and request his/her name. Then search for the company’s published number and call that number to verify it’s a legitimate call.

Here are some tips to help protect yourself:

Deny access

A legitimate company does NOT need access to your computer or online banking log-in to process any kind of credit.

Gift card scams

Gift cards are for gifts, not payments. If you are told to pay a debt with a gift card, it is a scam. They’ll also likely tell you to lie to a store cashier about the reason for the purchase of gift cards.

Protect Yourself

Protect your online banking log-in information the same way you would protect your physical wallet.

Ask for help

Talk to someone you trust before acting in a situation you are unsure of; whether it be a friend, family member, or your banker. Remember, scammers use urgency, secrecy, and an emotional response to trick their victims into doing something they might not ordinarily do.

Contact us

If your accounts have been compromised in a scam, contact us right away by calling 800-322-8233.

After normal business hours, log in to your online banking and send a secure message by going to Options>Messages>New.

If you don’t have online banking, click here to send us a message.

As always, if you have any questions, please call us at 800-322-8233 during normal business hours. We’d be happy to help you.