Consumer Alerts

There have been many recent reports of card skimmers present at large retail stores across New Hampshire, including at Walmart and Market Basket in Concord. To best protect your financial information, it’s important to understand how these devices work and to be alert to be alert when using your card. Card skimmers are illegal devices installed on card readers to capture the information stored on the card’s magnetic strip. This information includes your name, card number, expiration date, and security (CVV) code. In some cases, the fraudster will also add a microscopic camera or key logging device to capture additional […]

Did you receive an email from one of your employees asking you to change their bank account for direct deposit? It could be scam. In a recent wave of payroll diversion scams, cybercriminals will impersonate your employee and email your payroll manager to update their bank account information for payroll direct deposit.  The email may come from a legitimate company email that has been compromised or a fake email that appears to be authentic. If the change is completed, your employee’s paycheck is sent to an account set up by the scammer. Training employees to be cautious when receiving requests […]

Customers from local banks and credit unions have reported that they are receiving calls and text messages from criminal fraudsters who claim to be reaching out from the bank. The scammer will often claim to be from the bank or the bank’s fraud center and indicate that there are potentially fraudulent transactions on their account and that they need to verify the transactions.  The fraudster lists fake transactions and asks “did you make these purchase or are they fraudulent?”  The fraudster will then ask for information that only you would know, such as your social security number or the last […]

The MVSB Fraud Team has reported a recent uptick of Amazon scams targeting local residents. In most reports, scammers call posing as an “Amazon representative” asking to verify a bogus charge. When the victim replies that the charge is not authorized, the scammer then requests the name of their bank to transfer them to the “fraud department” to resolve the issue. In reality, the victim is transferred to another scammer posing as a fraud center employee looking to gather sensitive information such as their social security number or bank account details to commit fraud and identity theft. Remember, if any […]

A recent scam has surfaced where fraudsters use barcodes to trick victims into transferring money. The scam begins with a call or text from someone claiming to be from the Federal Reserve. They state that your financial account has been compromised and money needs to be transferred to a federal safe deposit box as soon as possible to keep it safe. To perpetrate the scam, the caller will text you a barcode and instructions to visit a large retailer to have it scanned at the service desk. You will then be asked for your debit card to pay the funds […]

In time of crisis, such as devastating earthquakes, many of us look to for ways to help those affected by donating money. Unfortunately, scammers often take advantage of emotions and newsworthy events and ramp up their efforts to by creating fake charities or other schemes. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website, if you are looking to support those in need, it’s important to know the signs of a scam and how to protect yourself. Avoid scams and make sure your donation makes it to where it’s needed:Before you donate, take time to do your research. Search for the […]