Fraud Alerts/Tips

Now, more than ever, it's important we all take steps to avoid being the victim of fraud. Here are a few steps to assist you in avoiding becoming a victim of fraudulent schemes or identity theft.

• Know who you are dealing with. Don't do business with people you don't know. If you are not sure about a company or organization, contact the Better Business Bureau or state and/or local consumer protection agencies. Do not verify their information with phone numbers or websites the person in question provides, but find an independent resource to call the organization the person is representing.
  
• Unsolicited e-mails are often fraudulent. When in doubt,simply delete the e-mail rather than responding to it in any way. It's not recommended that you request to be removed from their mailing list as this can confirm your e-mail address is a working address and is a prime target for scammers.
• Always guard your personal information. If someone with whom you are doing business asks for your personal information, and it's information they should have, take that as a potential warning sign of someone trying to gather information about you.
• Don't give-in to high-pressure sales pitches or charitable requests - if someone is really pushing you to make a decision, it could be a warning sign of a potential scam. Most legitimate organizations will give you time.
• If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Avoid common scams that involve promises of making a quick buck. These scams can include communications indicating you have won the lottery; that you are pre-approved for receiving a large sum of money if you wire funds first or communications indicating you can make money without lifting a finger. No one randomly just gives money to complete strangers.