Join us at Pickles For Pups đđŸđ Pickleball Tournament, where players of all skill levels come together to showcase their talents and their love of animals!
https://pickleballbrackets.com/lnkHdlr.aspx?eid=9cefa22b-18e0-4c8a-99f1-10818acce082
CedarStone Bank is hosting the 6th Anniversary Drive-Thru Community Shred Day event at the Lebanon Main Office (900 West Main St.). Please feel free to come by Saturday, September 28th from 9 am â 12 pm to have any sensitive information shredded securely onsite. https://www.facebook.com/events/2253157991717168/
Older Americans are increasingly being caught up in elaborate scams designed by perpetrators to drain them of their retirement savings, with the detail and scale of such scams sometimes requiring the intervention of federal law enforcement. Subjects of interviews were ensnared in scams that could be so elaborate itâs as if they were created in a writerâs room testing different plot devices. Scammers can impersonate government officials, tech support staff or love interests. They coach victims on how to sidestep fraud prevention measures at financial institutions, and they use manipulative psychological tactics â isolation, a sense of urgency or preying on peopleâs willingness to trust or connect â to keep the scam going.
Retirees have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in retirement savings due to the persistent efforts of these bad actors. A gentleman lost this money over a period of only three months, spending just about every weekday doing the legwork and making withdrawals from his bank accounts as part of an intricate scam. He believed he was helping the feds safeguard his money and catch thieves who were after it. Such scammers are present in a variety of online areas, including dating websites, social media platforms, messaging apps and through the use of invasive, malicious software â just to name a few. The nature of these schemes makes it nearly impossible to recover the money, leaving victims with little recourse. The stolen funds are often whisked to overseas accounts or laundered through cryptocurrency wallets, which are quickly emptied. The losses are sometimes exacerbated by taxes. Withdrawals from retirement accounts â especially in such large amounts â can often come with a heavy tax bill that the victims have few resources to cover after being scammed.
All branches are closed Monday, September 2nd in observance of Labor Day.
Here’s what happens…
A person comes into the bank to withdraw $10,000 for a fraudulent scheme supposedly to pay a bondsman on a fraudulent arrest warrant for missing jury duty. The caller poses as a Sergeant in the Sheriffâs dept instructing the customer to pay the bond or turn himself into the local police station. The fraudsters will often send pictures of an arrest warrant, which looked very official, with instructions to make payment to a bitcoin kiosk.
What we can do….
We can call the Sheriffâs department to verify that they do not call or issue arrest warrants for missing jury duty. We can then provide the details of the scam to a Deputy Sheriff, so they can stay aware of these ongoing incidents.
Did someone tell you to buy a gift card and give them the PIN numbers to:
– pay the FTC, FBl, or IRS
– keep your Social Security benefits
– keep your utilities on (electricity, water, or heat)
– pay for tech support
– help a family member in trouble
– help a servicemember needing money
– pay bail or ransom
– avoid arrest or deportation
– fix any problem, for any reason?
lf you answered yes, HANG UP. lt’s a scam.
– Report gift card scams to the gift card company.
– Ask for your money back.
– Then tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Contact the gift card company:
Amazon – 888-280-4331
Apple iTunes – 8OO-275-2273
Ebay – ebay.com/giftcardscams
Steam – help.steampowered.com
Target – 800-544-2943
Walmart – 888-537-5503
An IRS scam is when someone contacts you pretending to be from the Internal Revenue Service (lRS). They falsely say that you owe taxes and must pay them immediately or face serious penalties. Test your knowledge to protect yourself and loved ones.
Here’s a list of common tactics used by scammers.
– Yell at or insult you.
– Threaten to deport, arrest, or jail you.
– Send you a bill through the U.S. Postal Service first to let you know you owe taxes.
– Ask for tax payment by email, text message, or through social media.
– Offer you an opportunity to question or appeal the amount of taxes you owe.
– Request tax payment by gift cards, prepaid debit cards, or wire transfer.
– lnstruct you to make payments to the United States Treasury.
Now you know that the IRS will NEVER:
– Call to demand immediate payment by u prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer.
– Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested or deported for not paying.
– Demand payment without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
– Contact taxpayers by email, text message, or through social media to request personal or financial information such as PlNs or, passwords credit card, bank or other accounts.
Report it!
– lf you know you owe taxes or you think you might owe taxes, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.
– Report possible IRS scams to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484 and to FTC.gov/comptaint.
– lf you get an email from someone claiming to be from the lRS, don’t open any attachments or click on any links contained in the message. lnstead, forward the e-mail to phishing@irs.gov.
Scammers might promise you a job, lots of money, or work you can do at home. But they make you pay them before they help you. lf you pay them, you will lose your money and will not get a job.
How do I spot a job scam?
Look for these signs of a scam. Scammers might:
– promise you a job
– promise you a governmentjob
– offer you the secret to getting a job
– promise that you will make lots of money by working at home
– offer you a certificate to improve your chances of getting a job
Scammers always will ask you to pay first. That is the biggest sign of any scam. Never pay in advance. Someone might say you cannot lose. lt is not true. You will lose money.
How can I avoid a job scam?
– Never deal with anyone who promises you a job. No one can promise you a job,
– Do not pay in advance for information about a job. Even if there is a money-back guarantee
– Do not deal with anyone who says you have to act fast.
– lgnore promises to make thousands of dollars working in your own home. Those promises are lies.
What if I already paid someone but I did not get anything?
lf you sent money and did not get help finding a job, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
– Call the FTC at 1-A77-3A2-4357
– Go online: ReportFraud.ftc.gov
Here’s how they work:
You get a call: “Grandma, I need money for bail.” Or money for a medical bill Or some other kind of trouble. The caller says it’s urgent – and tells you to keep it a secret.
But is the caller who you think it is? Scammers are good at pretending to be someone they’re not. They can be convincing: sometimes using information from social networking sites, or hacking into your loved one’s email account, to make it seem more real. And they’ll pressure you to send money before you have time to think.
Here’s what you can do:
1. Stop. Check it out. Look up your grandkid’s phone number yoursell or call another family member.
2. Pass this information on to a friend. You may not have gotten one of these calls, but chances are you know someone who will get one – if they haven’t already.
Here’s how they work:
Someone contacts you on social media – and they’re interested in getting to know you. Or maybe you meet someone special on a dating website or mobile app. Soon the person wants to write to you directly or start talking on the phone. They say it’s true love, but they live far away – maybe because of work, or because they’re in the military.
Then they start asking for money. Maybe it’s for a plane ticket to visit you. Or emergency surgery. Or something else urgent.
Scammers of all ages, genders, and sexual orientations make fake profiles, sometimes using photos of other people – even stolen pictures of real military personnel. They build relationships – some even pretend to plan weddings – before they disappear with your money.
Here’s what to do:
1. Stop. Don’t send money. Never send cash, or send money using gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or a payment app to an online love interest. Once you pay this way, it’s hard to get your money back.
2. Pass this information on to a friend. You may not have gotten tangled up with a romance scam, but chances are, you know someone who will – if they haven’t already.
