Investment
Our Investing Professionals will work with you to ensure your investing goals are met and your needs are taken care of.
Cybersecurity Alert: Active Scams
There has been yet another spike in fraud attempts as the holiday season comes into full swing. To better equip you against scammers, here are examples of two of the fraud approaches we have seen active in our area.
Text Notification Scam:
Wording can vary, but the purpose of the text is to scare people into either clicking the link (potentially downloading malware) or calling the fraudster and giving out personal information. Below is an example of a text scam that was sent to one of our clients. Note that the text references the client’s phone number as the Account ID, doesn’t list any information about what bank this is supposedly from, what card this is pertaining to, or even why it has been locked. They intentionally keep these messages vague to cast their net as wide as possible. Do not click the link or call the numbers listed on these texts. Instead, contact your financial institution or credit card company directly to determine if the text is real.
Example of Text Notification Scam:
Phone Scam:
We have received a couple reports of individuals receiving a call from “the President of Winona National Bank” to let them know that a large dollar amount is being charged from their Amazon account. Depending on how far along the call is able to go, the fraudster will attempt to get personal information, such as your card information, under the threat of freezing your accounts. Sometimes, they will even threaten to call the authorities to arrest you. Aside from the glaring error of calling our bank “Winona National Bank,” the primary flag that these calls are scams is that they are asking for personal verification information. Legitimate companies will never call you to collect personal or account information. In these situations, end the call as soon as possible and don’t give them any information. If you are concerned about your accounts, contact your financial institution.
If you ever feel that you have received a fraudulent message or have fallen victim to fraud, please contact us at 507-454-8800 or toll free at 1-800-546-4392.
