Recent Fraud Alerts

July 24, 2020

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has created a way to spread information about recent scams. At this link, you can search for and become familiar with recent scams, and you can even sign up for alerts to be notified of new fraud relating to identity theft and more.

Remember to always be careful when giving out personal information. Email is NOT SECURE. Do not send information through e-mail such as account numbers, social security numbers, or passwords.

June 8, 2020

What to do if you've been impacted by unemployment fraud

Criminal enterprises have been attempting to file fraudulent unemployment claims through the DUA system. This is part of a national unemployment fraud scheme. If you believe someone is using your identity to falsely claim unemployment benefits, use this secure fraud reporting form or call the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) customer service department at (877) 626-6800.

If you think you may be a victim of unemployment fraud, follow these steps on Mass.Gov to protect yourself. 

April 17, 2020

Unfortunately, criminals will see the Economic Impact Payment process (Federal Government 'stimulus' checks) as an opportunity to commit crimes.

The American Bankers Association has provided this list of the top 5 scams to watch out for at this time. Additionally, the FDIC has just warned that criminals are sending emails and other communications claiming to be from the FDIC or another federal agency, and offering COVID-19 related grants or payments in exchange for personal financial information. Remember, the IRS will never send you an email, text, or call you asking for your personal information.

April 6, 2020

FBI warns of two scams trying to capitalize on the COVID-19 pandemic  

• When criminals obtain money illegally, they have to find a way to move and hide the illicit funds. They scam other people, known as money mules, into moving this illicit money for them either through funds transfers, physical movement of cash, or through various other methods. Money mules are often targeted through online job schemes or dating websites and apps.  Watch out for online job postings and emails from individuals promising you easy money for little to no effort, there has been an increase in such scams.  
• Business email compromise (BEC) is a scam that targets anyone who performs legitimate funds transfers. Recently, there has been an increase in BEC frauds targeting municipalities purchasing personal protective equipment or other supplies needed in the fight against COVID-19.  In a typical BEC scheme, the victim receives an email they believe is from a company they normally conduct business with, but this specific email requests funds be sent to a new account or otherwise alters the standard payment practices. 

March 11, 2020

Scam Artists using Coronavirus to Trick You

According to many legitimate news sites, cyber-criminals are exploiting the public's desire to learn more about the coronavirus, by creating malicious websites and emails. As you search online for the latest information and updates on how the coronavirus might affect you, be sure to visit reputable websites, and to be extremely careful if you choose to give out your personal information online. One such reputable site is coronavirus.gov, which immediately links to the Centers for Disease Control sub-page which focuses on the outbreak. 

July 25, 2019

Social Security is NOT Calling You

Getting calls saying your Social Security number is suspended because of suspicious activity? It’s a scam. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is not calling you, no matter what your caller ID says.

Scams involving your Social Security number and benefits are on the rise! Here are the facts:

• Government employees will not threaten to take away benefits or ask for money or personal information to protect your Social Security card or benefits.
• Scammers can fake your caller ID. So don't be fooled if the call seems to be from the SSA's real phone number (800) 772-1213 or the SSA Inspector General's Fraud Hotline number.
• If a caller asks for your Social Security number, bank account number or credit card information, hang up.

Report suspected scams to the SSA Inspector General at (800) 269-0271 or oig.ssa.gov/report. Visit IdentityTheft.gov/SSA for more tips.

To report these scams, go to ftc.gov/complaint. And for more tips, visit IdentityTheft.gov/SSA.

March 15, 2018

Fraudsters are 'Phishing' for W2s

The IRS has detected instances of attempted fraud as tax time nears.  Scam artists have sent IRS-related emails from false addresses "phishing" for W2 information. Sometimes these requests were followed by or combined with a request for an unauthorized wire transfer. The most popular method remains impersonating an executive, either through a compromised or spoofed email, in order to obtain W-2 information from a Human Resource professional within an organization.  Read the full Public Service Announcement for information on protecting yourself and what to do if you are a victim of data fraud.

January 18, 2018

The "Meltdown" and "Spectre" bugs

You may have read that it was recently discovered nearly all computer systems worldwide have a hardware bug called "Meltdown" and "Spectre".  These are flaws found in processing chips that exist in the majority of modern computing devices. This includes desktops, laptops, servers, tablets and smartphones.

Systems and certain applications (e.g., web browsers) that are not patched against these threats run the risk of leaking sensitive information to attackers.  Fortunately, as of this announcement, there have been no reports of these attacks being successfully executed.

How can I defend against these threats?
Companies that use the affected chips in their products—including Microsoft, Apple, and Google—are actively working to release patches, which should come as part of future updates. It is recommended that you update as soon as you are prompted. This includes:
• Operating systems (e.g., Windows, macOS)
• Desktop and laptop firmware (e.g., Lenovo, Dell)
• Mobile device firmware (e.g., Android, iOS)
• Applications (e.g., web browsers)

However, please be aware that bad guys are using this major event to try to trick you into downloading malware that claims to be a patch for the "Meltdown" and "Spectre" hardware issue. Don't fall for it! Take precautions. Patches should only come from official sources like the manufacturer of your PC or the developers of your Operating System (Microsoft Windows or Apple Mac).

September 10, 2017

The Equifax Breach

Equifax, one of the three major credit reporting bureaus, recently announced a cyber security breach that took place from mid-May through July of this year and may have impacted as many as 143 million U.S. consumers.  According to Equifax, the information accessed included names, social security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some instances, driver’s license numbers.  The breach also included credit card numbers for about 209,000 people and dispute documents with personal identifying information for about 182,000 people.

Equifax has established a dedicated website to help consumers determine if their information has been potentially impacted.  Whether or not your information was exposed, U.S. consumers can also sign up for free credit monitoring and identity theft protection through the Equifax website.  Please visit https://www.equifaxsecurity2017.com/ today for your protection.

For additional information about what steps you can take to protect yourself visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website at https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2017/09/equifax-data-breach-what-do. If you have questions please call the Equifax dedicated support line at 866-447-7559; open every day (including weekends) from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. EST.

A Note about Debit Cards

Mansfield Bank uses Fraud Prevention technology on all our debit cards. If you notice any unfamiliar activity on your account, or if your card has been deactivated due to fraud concerns, please call our Customer Service Department at 508-851-3600. 

May 11, 2016

FBI FRAUD ALERT

If you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, you may be getting scammed!

• Are you about to cash a check from an item you sold on the Internet, such as a car, boat, jewelry, etc.?
• Is it the result of communicating with someone by email?
• Did it arrive via an overnight delivery service?
• Is it from a business or individual account that is different from the person buying your item or product?
• Is the amount for more than the item’s selling price?
• Are you sending money overseas?
• Did you win an international lottery you didn’t enter?
• Have you been asked to pay money to receive an inheritance from another country?
• Are you receiving a commission for accepting money transfers through your bank and/or PayPal account?

To report an online crime, go to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Ongoing

Over the past few years, some of our customers may have received email from malicious individuals or groups posing as legitimate financial service companies, insurance companies, and other entities such as the FDIC. These individuals attempt to trick users into revealing personal information such as Credit Card Numbers, Personal Identification Numbers (PINs), Social Security Numbers and Passwords.

These individuals use this information to perpetrate fraud and financial crimes against individuals and by the time the victim realizes it, it is too late. You should be aware that:

• Mansfield Bank will never send unsolicited email or other type of communication request asking you to verify any of your personal or financial information. We will never send a link to our website through email without telling you first or without you requesting us to do so.
• If you receive a suspicious request from us please report it to us at: dmartin@mansfieldbank.bank or blord@mansfieldbank.bank. 
• If you believe that you gave out sensitive information regarding your accounts please call us 508-851-3600.