Every day more and more people fall victim to financial fraud. At Emprise Bank we take fraud very seriously, and want to do our part to help you protect your personal accounts.

Identity Theft

Identity theft occurs when someone steals your personal information and uses it for their own personal gain. Personal information they will steal includes: social security number, driver’s license number, account numbers, pins, passwords, card numbers, date of birth, mother’s maiden name, etc.

How does identity theft happen? It can happen when your checks, credit card, or debit card are lost or stolen. It can also happen when someone obtains your ATM pin number of online banking password, or when someone steals personal information out of your trash.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, identity theft topped their list of consumer fraud complaints for the seventh straight year, with the most common form being credit card fraud.

Scams

Fraud can also happen through scams such as foreign lotteries and work-at-home schemes. Six common scams are listed below.

Phishing.

Phishing occurs when criminals gather personal information by asking you to “update” or “validate” their billing information, account information, or log-in information. The e-mail and website link will look real, but a legitimate company would never call or e-mail you to verify personal information.

Foreign Money Offers.

A "foreign government official" will offer you an opportunity to split a huge sum of money with you, if he can just transfer the funds to your bank account. Of course, in order to transfer the funds, he will need your bank account number.

Sweepstakes and Foreign Lotteries.

You may be told that you have won something, but in order to claim the “prize” you must pay a fee or provide bank account/credit card information to cover the cost of processing, taxes, or delivery. The sweepstakes or lottery will likely be one you have heard of and never entered.

Charity Fraud.

Some people will even prey on your generosity by asking you to give to a fraudulent charity. The funds will never reach those in need – only the criminal’s own pocket.

Door-to-door.

Con artists will come to your door to sell some type of service, such as asphalt paving, tree trimming, or roofing. They might even tear a shingle off of your roof, claiming it blew down the street. They will claim to fix the problem. The con artist may ask for payment or materials upfront, but never actually do any work. They may also do some work, but find more “trouble spots” in the process.

Work at Home.

This scam offers great payouts for very little work at home, but you have to pay up front for supplies, training or other set-up fees. It is not very likely that you will ever make back that money.  

Want to learn how to protect yourself? Visit our page on Tips to Protect Yourself.