Tips and Resources to Prevent Fraud and Protect Your Money

Whether it’s through sophisticated scams or simple trickery, fraudsters don’t rest. According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers reported losing more than $10 billion to fraud in 2023, an unfortunate new U.S. record. Investment scams caused the greatest loss at more than $4.6 billion, followed by imposter scams with nearly $2.7 billion in reported losses.

At Banner, we’re here to help you stay one step ahead of would-be fraudsters. We offer a wealth of helpful resources and free tips to help safeguard your hard-earned money and prevent fraud. Here is a recap of some of our most popular blogs on this topic:

• Protect Yourself and Your Elders from Financial Abuse
• Ten Simple Steps to Safeguard Your Identity Online and Off
• Protect Yourself from Account-Draining Computer Takeover Scams
• Play it Safe. Tips to Protect Yourself from Check Scams and Fraud
• Protect your finances—What to know when using P2P apps

If the unthinkable happens and you, or a loved one, becomes a victim of fraud, here are additional resources to help you take action:

• If someone stole your identity—Learn who to call and what steps to take in our blog, What to do if you're a victim of identity theft. And find tips and tools to protect yourself from further fraudulent activity in our Security Center.
• To report fraud—If you’re concerned you may have been scammed, contact your bank right away. You should then file a police report. If the fraud involved online activity, consider filing a complaint with the FBI at the Internet Crime Complaint Center, the nation’s top platform for reporting cybercrime.
• If you’ve lost money—It can be very challenging to recover fraud losses. Acting quickly is key. See our blog, 5 steps to help you recover from a financial setback. 

If you’re a Banner client, remember we are always here to help guide you and answer questions related to fraud, Identity Theft and financial scams. If you’re not sure of your next step, visit your local branch or call us. Our experienced bankers are here to help.

Remember, knowledge is power. The more you know about protecting your money can help you and your loved ones stay safe. View our other blogs or visit the Security Center anytime for in-depth tips on security and fraud prevention, detecting scams, and more.