Financial Fraud Prevention

Identity theft can happen in a lot of ways: a stolen wallet, a missing phone, or a hacked online account. Then there are impersonators — scammers who pretend to be almost anyone. They’ll tell you almost any story to get you to trust them, so they can steal your money or information.

This time of year, you’re probably buying lots of things online. Gifts, decorations, food! But what if something you’ve ordered shows up different than advertised? Or damaged? Or never comes at all? If so, you’re not alone.

Just in time for the holidays, scammers have started creating shopping websites that look real — and they're using these sites to hack into bank or credit card accounts during checkout. Check out this cheat sheet before making a single click.

Did you get a bill for a Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan or COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) you never applied for? If the answer is yes, an identity thief probably used your personal information to get the loan. 

For so many of us, cell phones and computers are embedded in our personal and professional lives. Our devices store a lot of personal information, so it’s a good idea to take a few minutes to make sure your computer, phone, and other connected devices are protected.

Online and mobile payment apps let users quickly send and receive money. It's critical you know who you're sending money to because once it's sent, it's nearly impossible to get it back.