Scams and More Scams

Graphic of magnifying glass making the word "scam" bigger.
August 22 2024

Scammers, fraudsters, crooks, and criminals. They have many different names, but they continue to come up with creative ways to get into people’s bank accounts and wreak havoc on their lives. Getting scammed is no fun. Once scammed, the time commitment and work involved in cleaning up the mess is overwhelming and frustrating to say the least. The best way to combat fraud is to avoid it altogether. It seems like in every newsletter we talk about fraud, but because it is so common, it needs to be brought up again to remind everyone what to look for if you think you are being scammed.

Here are four signs according to the Federal Trade Commission that you are getting scammed: 

  1. Scammers pretend to be from an organization that you are familiar with. They will pretend to be from the IRS, FBI, Social Security Administration, utility company, or a charity to gain your trust and to get you talking to them. 
  2. They say there is a problem or a prize. They will say you are in trouble for not paying your taxes or someone in your family had an emergency. A virus on the computer that needs fixed is also very popular. Other types of scams are that you have won the lottery, a sweepstakes, or prize money and will be paid out upon you sending them a small “handling fee”.
  3. They pressure you to act immediately. They will insist on you paying them immediately and they often threaten you with arrest, fines, taking away your business license, or that your computer is corrupted and all files will be lost. 
  4. They want you to pay in a specific way. Often the payment they demand is nontraditional such as, gift cards, cryptocurrency, and payment apps. 

Scams are not going away and continue to rise as fraudsters get more creative. If something doesn’t feel right on a phone call or email, hang up or close out of the email and please give your local customer Relationship Specialist a call. It is better to be proactive than reactive when it comes to scams!

-Taylor Mamot, Relationship Specialist-

“We may never understand His wisdom, but we simply have to trust His will.”

Sonny Manley
President
Hebron

“Be kind because everybody is dealing with something you know nothing about.”

Jim Scott
President
Broken Bow

“Part of attaining success is surrounding yourself with people that share the same drive, determination and direction that you want to achieve.  I feel the people we hire at Bruning Bank represent those assets and they strive to help our customers build, grow and thrive in business as well as personal endeavors.” 

Todd Clabaugh
President
Kearney

"You’ve heard this before, '50% of success in your life comes from just showing up, more precisely showing up on time and being there when you are supposed to be.' That does not apply only to financial success it applies to everything. Your persistence in being there and being present and engaged in your family, your church and your work/career, you don’t have to talk a good game to be successful, you need to do. If you show-up, you're half way there.  And when you show-up, help will be available to get you the rest of the way.  Thanks to all of you that show-up!" 

Jerry Catlett
President & COO
Bruning

“At Bruning Bank, we are about building relationships. If you walk through our doors, we want you to feel like family. Whether it is your first time in, or you are a long-established customer, we want your experience to be positive, insightful, and lasting. The people we employ are vital in this role and do an amazing job carrying out the values and mission established by the bank. I truly feel this is what sets Bruning Bank apart from other institutions.“

Luke Thorell
President
Holdrege