Consumer Alerts

Local residents are receiving calls, emails and text from fraudsters posing as bank employees asking for online banking, account and debit card information. If you are contacted asking for information about your MVSB accounts, please do not respond and call us directly for assistance. Communications from fraudsters can be convincing and they may even “spoof” the caller ID to appear as though the call is from a local bank number. Be wary of communication you aren’t expecting and remember, we will not ask for sensitive information via phone, email or text unless you have contacted us for support. We will […]

According to the Federal Trade Commission, online romance scams are on the rise with $547 million being lost to scams in 2021 alone. If you are using online dating apps, websites or social media sites, it’s important to know how romance scams work so you can avoid being catfished and/or scammed. Millions of people across the country use online dating tools each year – and many of the profiles that appear are criminals using fake online identities. They use fake profile photo and life stories to form romantic attachments with unsuspecting victims and a variety of schemes to scam them […]

If you get a letter in the mail claiming that you won the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes, it’s recommended you take a closer look before you begin celebrating – it may be a scam. Our Fraud Team has reported incidents of scammers mailing letters with claims that the recipient has won a cash prize. The letter will often include the Publishers Clearing House logo, recipient’s name, address and instructions on how to claim the prize. It is important to know some of the red flags of sweepstakes fraud and steps to avoid becoming a victim, such as if:The letter contains […]

If you receive a pop-up message on your computer or phone, a text, email or call saying your computer has been infected with malware, it’s a scam. We’ve been receiving an influx of reports of these scams targeting consumers and businesses locally – many of whom have responded to the alarming message by sending funds or clicking links, exposing them to harmful malware. The Federal Trade Commission shares these simple and important things to know about tech support scams: Legitimate tech companies won’t contact you by phone, email or text to tell you there is a problem with your computer. […]

Consumers have been reporting suspicious text messages and calls from scammers posing as their bank, walking them through steps to send money with a payment app. Keeping your information safe is our highest priority. While while we may contact you to alert you to unusual activity on your account – we’ll never ask you to give us sensitive passcodes, PINS or credentials. If you’re ever not sure if a communication you receive from us is authentic, give us a call at 800.922.6872 to confirm. Watch this educational video from our partners at Zelle® to learn more about payment app scams […]

Fraud can happen to anyone at any time and you could be a scammer’s next target. Even if you think your identity and online accounts are safe and secure, it’s still important to take these steps to protect yourself: Review your credit at least annually. You are entitled to a complimentary copy of your credit from each agency annually and you can access request them online at www.annualcreditreport.com Review your account transactions and statements regularly. Using safe tools like online and telephone banking can help you pick up on suspicious activity faster and between statements. Contact your financial institution immediately […]

Businesses, alert your accounting and HR personnel to a recent uptick in payroll scams. In the latest scheme, scammers are contacting businesses posing as an employee looking to change their direct deposit account information. Once a change is made, the employee’s payroll is diverted to a fraudulent account. In some cases, the scammer poses as or name drops company executives or senior managers to help them seem legitimate. To prevent payroll fraud, it’s critical to educate employees on safe email practices and to have multi-layer verification processes in place to confirm identity before changes are made. Fraud prevention measures may […]

The MVSB Fraud Team has reported an increase in Facebook Marketplace scams involving money transfer apps. When selling items online, it’s important to be on the lookout for scams so you don’t fall victim. In the latest Marketplace scam, a fraudster pretends to be an interested buyer for an item and comes to an agreement with the seller to purchase the item. The buyer offers to send payment through a money transfer app and asks for the seller’s email and phone number to do so. The fraudster then sends a spoofed email impersonating the money transfer app stating that they […]