Financial Education

Trending Scams

At GenoaBank, we provide information such as the below for customer education on fraud topics. These scam spotlights help to better educate our customers, as well as our employees, on current fraud trends and avoidances.
Here’s what you can expect of holiday scams and how to avoid them:

Holiday-themed Scam Texts and Emails
Around various holidays, expect unsolicited messages or phishing links that allegedly redirect you to a greeting card sent from friends or family. Upon interaction with the malicious links, individuals may either be tricked into providing personal information and credit card data to view the greeting card or have malicious software loaded onto their devices. Always confirm the authenticity of a message before accessing any links or providing your information.
 
Online Sales Scams
If you plan to shop for holiday decorations, only use reputable, trustworthy websites. Scammers may set up phony websites and ads on social media, seeking to capitalize on the demand for holiday-themed merchandise.
 
Phony Event Tickets
Individuals looking to attend holiday-themed shows or events also need to be on the lookout for scammers eager to cash in on your anticipation. Closely inspect the name and location of the event and do your research before taking out your credit card. Always purchase tickets to any event directly from the venue hosting the event and not via unsolicited links or ads you see on social media.
Scammers often impersonate your bank or familiar companies, sending messages about a supposed suspicious transaction. If you respond, they will call you and weave a complex tale of identity theft. They may claim to assist you, but their true intent is to empty your bank account.
 
What to Do: Avoid clicking on links in unexpected messages. If you suspect the message might be genuine, reach out to the company through their official app, website, chat, or customer service number. Do not return calls to the number that contacted you or to any number provided in a voicemail or text.
Fraudsters frequently target individuals on social media by presenting "exclusive opportunities" to invest in cryptocurrency. They entice potential victims with promises of substantial returns with little to no risk. If you engage with them, they will direct you to a fraudulent website that appears legitimate, leading you to believe you are making an investment. In truth, no investment is taking place. Once they have siphoned enough money from you, they will close the fake site and disappear with your funds.
 
What to Do: Be wary of anyone who guarantees substantial earnings with little to no risk in investments. All investments carry risks, so conduct thorough research before committing your money.
Elderly individuals can be particularly vulnerable to financial exploitation due to various factors, including cognitive impairments such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
 
Perpetrators may take advantage of these vulnerabilities to manipulate their finances for personal gain.
 
Here are some important red flags to be aware of:
 
Confusion About Financial Transactions: If a senior appears disoriented about recent financial activities or is hesitant to discuss their finances, this may suggest they are being manipulated.
 
Involvement of Unfamiliar Relatives: The sudden emergence of previously uninvolved family members who assert claims to an elder’s property or possessions could be a warning sign of potential exploitation.
 
Changes to Important Documents: Recent alterations to property titles, wills, powers of attorney, or other critical documents may indicate undue influence from outside parties.
 
Suspicious Financial Activity: Unexplained credit card charges, frequent or excessive withdrawals from accounts, and the addition of new signers to accounts can all be indicators of financial abuse.
 
Uncharacteristic Financial Behavior: Look for unusual patterns such as checks written to cash, assets transferred to unfamiliar individuals, unexpected gifts of money, or the mysterious disappearance of cash or valuables. These changes in financial habits may signal exploitation.
 
By staying vigilant and recognizing these warning signs, we can help protect our elderly loved ones from financial abuse.
Scammers may send you fraudulent emails claiming you need to renew a subscription or membership you never signed up for. For instance, they might pose as a specific company’s technical support or customer service, alleging that you owe hundreds of dollars for a membership renewal unless you call to cancel within 24 hours. If you call (which you should avoid), the scammers will request remote access to your computer, install spyware, and drain funds from your bank account.
 
What to Do: If you suspect the message could be legitimate, contact the company directly through their official app, website, chat, or customer service number.
Here are some tips to keep in mind to help protect yourself from check fraud when sending money to others:

  • Pay digitally. Reduce the number of checks you send and utilize card or digital payment methods instead.
  • Use your bank to send checks on your behalf. If you do have to pay for something via check, see if your bank offers a bill pay service. Using this service will mean that the payment information will be printed onto a check, which makes it more difficult for a scammer to remove the information compared to a hand-written personal check.
  • Consider the type of check-writing pen you use. If you do write a check, make sure you’re using a black gel pen. These types of pens have ink that’s more difficult to remove.
  • Use mailboxes that are secure. If you need to send any checks by mail, use the mailbox inside of a USPS facility rather than at a curbside USPS mailbox or your residential outgoing mail.
  • Keep your bank account information safe. Don’t share or post your bank account information anywhere publicly, and never share account information with anyone with whom you did not initiate the communication. Do not allow websites to save your routing/transit and account number information.
With a little caution and know-how, you can avoid becoming the victim of a check fraud scam.
People are unknowingly handing over tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars to Tech Support Scammers.
Here’s How
Tech Scammers use fake pop-ups on your computer to get you to call a number. They will tell you that someone hacked into your bank, investment or retirement account and is using it for fraud. To “help,” they transfer you to another scammer who pretends to be with a government agency (such as the Federal Trade Commission or FBI) or even the fraud department at your local bank. The scammer says the only way to protect your money is to transfer it to a new account. The problem is the scammer has control of the new account and quickly cleans it out.
Remember to . . .
  • Never call a number on a security pop-up warning.
  • Never move or transfer money to “protect it.”
  • Never give someone a verification code to log in to your account.
Personally use a phone number you know is legit and call your real bank, broker, or investment advisor if you are worried.
Don’t be scammed by Charity and Disaster Fraud.
 
Be sure to keep these tips in mind before making a financial contribution to a charity and/or disaster fund:
  • Donate to charities you know and trust.
  • Designate the donation to go to a specific relief effort as opposed to a general fund.
  • Never click on links or open attachments in unsolicited emails, texts or social media posts.
  • Verify the legitimacy of any solicitation by contacting the organization directly through a trusted contact number.
  • Do your research. Use the Federal Trade Commission’s resources to examine the track record of a charity.
  • Beware of organizations with names that are similar to, but not exactly the same as, those of reputable charities.
  • Avoid charities that ask you to pay by cash, gift card, virtual currency, or wire transfer.
  • Pay by credit card or write a check directly to the charity; do not make checks payable to individuals.
  • Make contributions directly: do not rely on others to contribute on your behalf.