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F.D.I.C. Insurance

3/13/2023

 

The following is from the F.D.I.C (www.fdic.gov/resources/deposit-insurance)

For more information, please visit them. (www.fdic.gov)

Deposit insurance is one of the significant benefits of having an account at an FDIC-insured bank—it’s how the FDIC protects your money in the unlikely event of a bank failure. The standard insurance amount is $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, for each account ownership category. And you don’t have to purchase deposit insurance. If you open a deposit account in an FDIC-insured bank, you are automatically covered. Check out the resources on this page to learn more about deposit insurance.

Are My Deposits Insured?

Use the tools below to double check that your accounts and bank are FDIC-insured and to find out how much insurance coverage you have.

Answers to More of Your Deposit Insurance Questions

What happens if my bank fails? How do I get deposit insurance? What accounts are not covered? What if my deposits exceed the coverage limit? The FDIC provides a number of resources to answer these questions and more.

Looking for more? Contact the FDIC.

  • 1-877-ASK-FDIC. Call us to determine your deposit insurance coverage or ask any other specific deposit insurance questions.
  • FDIC Information and Support Center. Submit a request or complaint, check on the status of a complaint or inquiry, or securely exchange documents with the FDIC.

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ABA Unveils New Videos on Scams Targeting Seniors

 

9/14/2022

 

 

As part of its Safe Banking for Seniors campaign, the American Bankers Association Foundation today released seven new videos intended to help raise awareness about the top scams targeting older Americans. The films provide an overview of scams in general, as well as information on specific scams that commonly target seniors, including family impostor scams, government impostor scams, tech support scams, money mule scams, sweetheart scams and lottery scams.

“Criminals know that older Americans hold approximately 65% of bank deposits in the U.S. and unfortunately, that concentration of wealth often makes them prime targets for financial exploitation,” said ABA Foundation Executive Director Lindsay Torrico. “These videos will bolster bank efforts to safeguard their senior customers and help bank employees, caregivers and family members spot scams before they can do any damage.”

The videos, along with ABA’s existing suite of Safe Banking for Seniors resources, are available for free.

ABA Foundation Fraud Protecting older Americans Scams

 

 


 

Apple Releases Emergency Updates

 

8/22/2022

 

On Thursday, August 18, Apple released emergency fixes for two serious vulnerabilities that are being actively exploited. These vulnerabilities affect iPhone, iPad, and Mac systems. One of these, CVE-2022-32893, is a Remote Code Execution hole (RCE), and the other, CVE-2022-32894, is a kernel code execution hole.

These are serious vulnerabilities that could allow an attacker to put malware on your device or take over your device with super-user credentials without your permission.

We highly recommend that all our customers using Apple products ensure these updates are applied to all assets as soon as possible.

 


 

FTC consumer alert on utility payments scams

 

8/16/2022

 

The Federal Trade Commission has posted a Consumer Alert regarding utility payments. The Alert notes that only scammers demand utility payments in cryptocurrency.

The scam goes like this: The consumer gets a call or text from someone pretending to be their utility company. The caller or text says the consumer owes money (which is a lie). The scammers then send the consumer a text—sometimes including their utility company’s logo—with a QR code and tell the consumer to scan it at a Bitcoin ATM to make a payment or their service will be disconnected.

No utility company will text about a shut-off, and no utility company will demand payment in cryptocurrency. Those are scams. Before it shuts off service, all real utility companies will notify their customer in writing and offer a repayment plan.

 

 


 
 

Charity & Disaster Scams

 

August 3, 2022

 

OUCH! Newsletter

 

Cyber criminals know that one of the best ways to rush people into making a mistake is by creating a heightened sense of urgency. And one of the easiest ways to create a sense of urgency is to take advantage of a crisis. This is why cyber criminals love it whenever there is a traumatic event with global impact. What most of us regard as a tragedy, cyber criminals view as an opportunity, such as the breakout of a war, a major natural disaster such as a volcanic explosion, and of course infectious disease breakouts like COVID- 19. When there is an immense amount of social media and news coverage about a certain event, cyber criminals know that is the time to strike.

They use this opportunity to create timely phishing emails or scams about the event, and then send that phishing email or launch the scam to millions of people around the world. For example, during a natural disaster, they may pretend to be a charity asking for donations to save children in need. Cyber criminals can often act within hours of a crisis or disaster, as they have all the technical infrastructure prepared and are ready ahead of time. How can we protect ourselves the next time there is a big crisis or disaster, and cyber criminals seek to exploit it?

How to Detect and Defend Against These Scams

The key to avoiding these scams is to be suspicious of anyone who reaches out to you. For example, do not trust an urgent email claiming to be from a charity that desperately needs donations, even if the email appears to be from a brand that you know and trust. Do not trust a phone call claiming to be a local food bank pressuring you to donate. The greater the sense of urgency, the more likely the request is an attack. Here are some of the most common indicators of a charity scam:

  • Be very suspicious of any charity that requires that you donate via cryptocurrency, Western Union, wiring money, or gift cards.
  • Cyber criminals can change their caller ID phone number to make their phone call look like it’s from your local area code or from a trusted name. Caller ID cannot be relied upon these days.
  • Some cyber criminals will use names and logos that sound or look like a real charity. This is one reason it pays to do some research before giving.
  • Cyber criminals will often make lots of vague and sentimental claims about what they will do with your money but give no specifics about how your donation will be used.
  • Some cyber criminals may try to trick you into donating to them by thanking you for a donation you made in the past when, in reality, you never donated to them.
  • Do not assume pleas for help on crowdfunding sites such as GoFundMe or social media sites such as TikTok are legitimate, especially in the wake of a crisis or tragedy.
  • Do not give out personal or financial information in response to any unsolicited request.

How to Make a Difference Safely

To donate in times of need or to help those impacted by a disaster, donate only to well-known, trusted organizations. You initiate the connections and decide who to reach out to, such as what websites to visit or what organizations to call. When you consider giving to a charity, search its name plus words like “complaint,” “review,” “rating,” or “scam.” Not sure which charities to trust? Start by researching on government websites you trust, or perhaps links provided by a well-known and highly trusted news organization. Donating in times of need is a fantastic way to make a difference, just be sure you are giving to legitimate organizations.

Guest Editor

Dr. Jessica Barker is an award-winning leader on the human side of security. She is the co-CEO of Cygenta and a bestselling author. Jessica is on the SANS Security Awareness Summit advisory board.

Resources

FTC Charity Fraud: https://consumer.ftc.gov/features/how-donate-wisely-and-avoid-charity-scams/

Social Engineering: https://www.sans.org/newsletters/ouch/social-engineering-attacks/

Top Three Scams: https://www.sans.org/newsletters/ouch/top-three-social-media-scams/

Messaging Attacks: https://www.sans.org/newsletters/ouch/spot-and-stop-messaging-attacks/

Phone Call Attacks: https://www.sans.org/newsletters/ouch/vishing/

Charity Navigator: https://www.charitynavigator.org/


 

A Reminder

 

8/1/2022

 

Please remember that The First Bank and Trust Company of Murphysboro will not call or text you to ask for your sensitive or personal information such as username/password for digital banking, a debit card number, social security number, etc. Please do not respond to any texts or calls that request this information.

 

 


 

Top Cybersecurity Tips For Vacations

 

7/20/2022

 

Overview

As the holiday season approaches, millions of people will be traveling. If you are among the many, here are some tips to help keep you cyber savvy and safe.

 

Mobile Devices

Bring as few devices as you can. The fewer devices you bring while traveling, the fewer devices that can be lost or stolen. In fact, did you know that you are far more likely to lose a mobile device than have it stolen? Whenever leaving a hotel room, restaurant, taxi cab, train or airplane, do a quick device check and make sure you have all of your devices. Don’t forget to have friends or family traveling with you to double check for their devices too, like children who may leave a device behind on a seat or in a restaurant. As for the devices you choose to bring, make sure you update them so they are running the latest operating system and apps. Keep the screen lock enabled. If possible, ensure you have some way to remotely track your devices if they are lost. In addition, you may want the option to remotely wipe the device. That way if a device is lost or stolen, you can remotely track and/or wipe all your sensitive data and accounts from the device. Finally, do a backup of any devices you take with you, so if one is lost or stolen, you can easily recover your data.

 

Wi-Fi Connections

When traveling, you may need to connect to a public Wi-Fi network. Keep in mind you often have no idea who configured that Wi-Fi network, who is monitoring it or how, and who else is connected to it. Instead of connecting to a public Wi-Fi network, whenever possible connect to and use the personal hotspot feature of your smartphone. This way you know you have a trusted Wi-Fi connection. If that is not possible and you need to connect to a public Wi-Fi network (such as at an airport, hotel, or cafe), use a Virtual Private Network, often called a VPN. This is software you install on your laptop or mobile devices to help protect and anonymize your Wi-Fi connection. Some VPN solutions include settings to automatically enable the VPN when connecting to non-trusted Wi-Fi networks.

 

Public Computers 

Avoid using public computers, such as those in hotel lobbies or at coffee shops, to log into any accounts or access sensitive information. You don’t know who used that computer before you, and they may have infected it accidentally or deliberately with malware, such as a keystroke logger. Stick to devices you control and trust.

 

Social Media

We love to update others about our travels and adventures through social media, but we don’t always know who every friend or viewer is online. Avoid oversharing while on vacation as much as possible and consider waiting to share your trip until you’re home. Additionally, don’t post pictures of boarding passes, driver’s licenses, or passports as this can lead to identity theft.

 

Work

If you will be working while on vacation (we hope not!), make sure you check what your work travel policies are ahead of time, including what devices or data you can bring with you and how to remotely connect to work systems safely.

Vacation should be a time for relaxing, exploring, and having fun. These simple steps will help ensure you do so safely and securely.

 

Resources 

Securing Your Mobile Devices

The Power of Updating

Virtual Private Networks

Got Backups

 

 


Phishing

 

7/15/2022

 

What is phishing?

Phishing is a type of online scam where criminals make fraudulent emails, phone calls and texts that appear to come from a legitimate bank. Every year, people lose hundreds, even thousands, of dollars to these scams. The communication is designed to trick you into entering confidential information (like account numbers, passwords, PINs or birthdays) into a fake website by clicking on a link, or to tell it to someone imitating your bank on the phone.

 

What to do if you receive a scam email, call or text.

Email or Text

If you suspect that an email or text you receive is a phishing attempt:

  • Take a deep breath. In most cases, it’s perfectly safe to open a scam email or text. Modern mail apps, like Gmail, detect and block any code or malware from running when you open an email. The key is not to click links or download any attachments.
  • Do not download any attachments in the message. Attachments may contain malware such as viruses, worms or spyware.
  • Do not click links that appear in the message. Links in phishing messages direct you to fraudulent websites.
  • Do not reply to the sender. Ignore any requests from the sender and do not call any phone numbers provided in the message.
  • Report it. Help fight scammers by reporting them. Forward suspected phishing emails to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@apwg.org. If you got a phishing text message, forward it to SPAM (7726). Then, report the phishing attack to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

Call

If you receive a phone call that seems to be a phishing attempt:

  • Hang up or end the call. Be aware that area codes can be misleading. If your Caller ID displays a local area code, this does not guarantee that the caller is local.
  • Do not respond to the caller’s requests. Financial institutions and legitimate companies will never call you to request your personal information. Never give personal information to the incoming caller.
  • If you feel you’ve been the victim of a scam, and you did provide personal or financial information, contact your bank immediately at their publicly listed customer service number. Often, this is found on the back of your bank card. Be sure to include any relevant details, such as whether the suspicious caller attempted to impersonate your bank and whether you provided any personal or financial information to the suspicious caller.

 

What to do if you fall for a scam email, call or text.

  1. Contact your bank, financial institutions and creditors
    1. Speak with the fraud department and explain that someone has stolen your identity.
    2. Request to close or freeze any accounts that may have been tampered with or fraudulently established.
    3. Make sure to change your online login credentials, passwords and PINs.
  1. Secure your email and other communication accounts
    1. Many people reuse passwords and your email or cell phone account may be compromised as well.
    2. Immediately change your accounts’ passwords and implement multi-factor authentication — a setting that prevents cybercriminals from accessing your accounts, even if they know your password — if you haven’t already done so.
  2. Check your credit reports and place a fraud alert on them
    1. Get a free copy of your credit report from annualcreditreport.com or call 877.322.8228.
    2. Review your credit report to make sure unauthorized accounts have not been opened in your name.
    3. Report any fraudulent accounts to the appropriate financial institutions.
    4. Place a fraud alert on your credit by contacting one of the three credit bureaus. That company must tell the other two.
      – Experian: 888.397.3742 or experian.com
      – TransUnion: 800.680.7289 or transunion.com
      – Equifax: 888.766.0008 or equifax.com
  3. Contact ChexSystems at 888.478.6536 to place a security alert on the compromised checking and savings accounts when a deposit account has been impacted. Or, make your report to ChexSystems online.
  4. Contact the Federal Trade Commission to report an ID theft incident: visit identitytheft.gov or call 877.438.4338.
  5. File a report with your local law enforcement.
    1. Get a copy of the report to submit to your creditors and others that may require proof of the crime.

 

FTC Business Blog on crypto scam losses

06/06/2022

 

The Federal Trade Commission has posted an article on its Business Blog, “Reported crypto scam losses since 2021 top $1 billion, says FTC Data Spotlight.” According to the latest FTC Consumer Protection Data Spotlight, since the start of 2021, more than 46,000 people have reported losing over $1 billion in crypto to scams. That’s about one out of every four dollars reportedly lost to fraud during that period.

 

The Data Spotlight reveals that reported losses to crypto scams in 2021 were nearly 60 times what they were in 2018. Certain features of cryptocurrency may explain why it’s a favorite payment method for crooks and cons. There’s no bank or other entity to flag suspicious transactions before they happen. Crypto transfers can’t be reversed. Once the money’s gone, it’s gone. And most people are still unfamiliar with how crypto works.

 

Nearly half the people who reported losing crypto to a scam since 2021 said it started with an ad, post, or message on a social media platform. Of those who specified the platform where the scam began, 32% said it was on Instagram, 26% said Facebook, 9% said WhatsApp, and 7% said Telegram. More than half of the reported losses involved bogus crypto investment opportunities.

 

What the Data Spotlight suggests is that even people who consider themselves tech-savvy can lose money to crypto crooks. Here are three things to bear in mind to protect yourself:

 

  1. Only scammers will guarantee profits or big returns.
  2. No one legitimate will insist that you buy cryptocurrency.
  3. If an online love asks you to send crypto – or claims they can show you how to make money investing in crypto – pull the plug on your virtual romance.

Looking for more information about crypto scams? Visit ftc.gov/cryptocurrency. Report deceptive practices to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.