A romance scheme occurs when a bad actor creates a fake online persona to gain a victim’s trust within the context of a potential romantic relationship. Fraudsters can masterfully leverage social media or dating websites to construct convincing, attractive, and intriguing profiles for targets. Once a target victim is acquired, the fraudster will lay the groundwork for next steps; they will seem authentic, credible, relatable, and attentive. Often the fraudster will claim to be from the United States but working elsewhere overseas, to provide a built-in reason as to why an in-person meet-up cannot be arranged. These fraudsters take advantage of lonely, vulnerable people by learning how to quickly establish trust and prey on human emotion.

Malware – short for “malicious software” – is any program that runs on your system that is unauthorized by you or performs some unauthorized function. The person who created the malware may intend to cause you or your system harm, steal your private information, or hold your data for ransom. Frequently banking fraud is facilitated by malware, since malware is able to watch web traffic and read information stored on your system (including passwords!). And malware attacks are increasing once again in 2022, with an 11% increase in volume this year according to SonicWall.

Many Americans are utilizing investment accounts to build wealth. In fact, sums held in investments often exceed what would typically be held in a checking or savings account. Additionally, the average consumer likely does not check in on their investment account activity as often as they review their checking account balance. What does this all add up to? Vast opportunities for fraudsters to target unsuspecting consumers. Read on to learn how can protect your accounts.

The original “SECURE” Act was approved into law in 2019. SECURE stands for Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement. It was aimed at preventing Americans from outliving their savings. SECURE 2.0 Act was enacted in December 2022 to finish the job by helping workers save more money for retirement and leave their savings untouched and untaxed for longer. Here are a few highlights you should be aware of.

Certificates of deposit (CDs) are receipts for funds deposited at a financial institution. The CD entitles you to a set rate of interest plus the amount of your original deposit (your principal) at a specified time called the maturity date.

You want to retire comfortably when the time comes. You also want to help your child go to college. So how do you juggle the two? The truth is, saving for your retirement and your child's education at the same time can be a challenge. But take heart — you may be able to reach both goals if you make some smart choices now.

The sun is shining, temperatures are rising, and the sounds of Pomp and Circumstance are in the air. It's graduation season again and, whether your graduates are finishing high school or college, you may be wondering if they are prepared with sufficient knowledge of personal financial skills to be successful. If you expected them to learn that information at school, you may be disappointed. As of May 4th of this year, only nineteen states required high school students to take a personal finance class before graduating (New York is not one of them), nor is it typically required in college.

Elder financial abuse is a type of fraud which involves the misappropriation of financial resources belonging to an elder, within the context of a relationship where there is an expectation of trust and care. In other words, elder financial abuse happens when elderly individuals are preyed upon for financial gain. These schemes can range from simple theft in the form of unauthorized check cashing, to legal document abuse such as fraudulent transfer of Power of Attorney, to more complex schemes such as extortion.

May 4th is World Password Day, a day set aside for ensuring that your password is still doing its important work. Is your password keeping your personal and financial information secure? Or is it a weak link in your personal security practices? Let’s consider some ways to ensure that your password is still effective to protect you.

Matching assets with liabilities is one of the prudent rules of banking. The failure to do that led to such financial crises as the Savings & Loan collapse of the 1980s and it surfaced again when a little-known, yet financially prominent California bank collapsed last month, sharply shifting economic fortunes and central bank policy.

The new frontier of U. S. Manufacturing is here! Advanced Manufacturing uses innovative technologies and methods to improve a company’s ability to be competitive in the manufacturing sector. It does this by optimizing all aspects of the value chain, from concept to end-of-life considerations.

Your investment portfolio can help to secure your future, but did you know it can also provide you convenient access to funds when you need it?

An estate plan can address what happens to your money, home, and family after you die. There are many tools you can use to achieve your estate planning goals, but a Will is probably the most vital. Even if you're young or your estate is modest, you should have a legally valid and up-to-date Will. This is especially important if you have minor children because, in many states, your Will is the legal way you can name a guardian for them.

Crooks use clever schemes to defraud millions of people every year. They often combine new technology with old tricks to get people to send money or give out personal information. Here are some practical tips to help you stay a step ahead.

Cybersecurity is the art of protecting networks, devices, and data from unauthorized access or criminal use and the practice of ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information. It seems that everything relies on computers and the internet now—communication (e.g., email, smartphones, tablets), entertainment (e.g., interactive video games, social media, apps ), transportation (e.g., navigation systems), shopping (e.g., online shopping, credit cards), medicine (e.g., medical equipment, medical records), and the list goes on. How much of your daily life relies on technology? How much of your personal information is stored either on your own computer, smartphone, tablet or on someone else's system?