Latest Scam Alert: Beware of Text Messages or Calls Appearing From Your Bank The Scam Over the years, there have been a growing number of “spoofing” attempts being made in the financial industry, including on FirstBank customers. Fraudsters are using falsified caller ID numbers — or what appears to be legitimate text messages — to trick FirstBank customers into providing sensitive information. These scammers are either acting as… Read More
Cybersecurity Awareness Month October is National Cyber Security Awareness month. Here are five quick and easy tips to keep your money safe this Fall and beyond. … Read More
Latest Scam Alert: Card Fraud and What to Do If You are a Victim The Scam One of the most common scams today is card fraud, the unauthorized use of a credit or debit card to fraudulently obtain money or property. Fraudsters use multiple tactics to collect this information, including copying your card’s magnetic strip (known as skimming), intercepting your card in the mail, or using a strategy called “formjacking,” where… Read More
Four Ways to Prevent Identity Theft From Happening to You This Holiday Season Could the holidays make us more vulnerable to identity theft? According to experts, it can. And while fraud is a year-round problem, the holidays offer an especially opportune time for thieves. Think about it: purchasing multiple gifts — whether it’s online or in the store — increases exposure to our financial information, and sometimes that… Read More
Five Ways to Spot and Prevent Financial Theft Against Seniors Financial elder abuse, where senior citizens are manipulated for financial gain, is a growing problem. According to the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA), one in 20 seniors indicated some form of financial abuse or theft. Fraud and financial elder abuse costs older Americans more than $36.5 billion annually. What’s worse, 90 percent of the “abusers”… Read More
Six Warning Signs All Daters Should Look for This Summer Longer days, warmer nights, relaxed vibes, rooftop patios, pool gatherings, weddings and BBQs. It’s no wonder why the summer months show one of the larger spikes in online dating activity as singles look to share their summertime fun and seasonal events with someone special. As easy as it may be to find someone on Match, Tinder… Read More
Equifax Cyberattack: Three Things You Should Do Equifax, one of the major credit reporting bureaus, announced a major cyber breach potentially affecting 143 million Americans. The data breach primarily involved names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, but in some cases, driver’s license and credit card and cash reserve account numbers. We suggest you take the time to thoroughly read the information… Read More
How To Spot A Scam & What To Do: Technical Support Scams FirstBank is excited to announce a four-part series on scams: “How To Spot A Scam & What To Do.” So follow along as we highlight common scams, how to identify them, and what to do. First up: technical support scams. The Situation: While logging into online banking you receive a pop-up message that something is wrong… Read More
Five Tips to Avoid One of America’s Most Costly Scams Wire Fraud. Picture this: You’ve saved $75,000 — your entire life savings for a down payment on a new home. You spent months looking and finally found your dream house. Your offer’s been accepted, your mortgage approved and closing day is set. You’re over the moon. Before you close, you’re emailed wire instructions on where… Read More
The Skinny on Skimming: 5 Tips to Protect Your Money at the ATM A recent report finds that illegal card skimming continues to grow and has cost consumers more than $2 billion. Skimming is big business, netting crooks an average of $50,000 ($50,000!) each time. Unfortunately, skimming is an increasingly popular method for thieves to steal credit or debit card numbers and PINs, where cardholders swipe to pay… Read More