Safety & Fraud Prevention

NOTE: Bank of Labor will never reach out to you asking for personal information.  If you receive any suspicious communication (text, phone, email, or social media), please do not click on any links and contact us immediately at 913.321.4242.

Don’t Write Off These Tax Scams!

The Dirty Dozen Tax Scam list published by the IRS is a good resource to help you stay aware of current cons and avoid being targeted at tax time:

IRS Dirty Dozen list reminds taxpayers and tax pros to be wary of scams and schemes, even after tax season | Internal Revenue Service

The IRS doesn’t send tax refunds by email or text | Internal Revenue Service

Tablet with pop up reading "New Email: Tax Refund e-Statment"
National Consumer Protection Week

National Consumer Protection Week. 

Keep your finances and personal info safe from fraud, identity theft and other scams with resources and tips from the Federal Trade Commission during National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) — March 3 – 9, 2024 — and any time of the year. NCPW is a time when government agencies, consumer protection groups, and financial institutions work together to share information about consumer rights and help people learn to spot, report, and avoid scams. Visit ftc.gov/ncpw to learn how to learn how to get free consumer fraud prevention advice in a dozen languages — and read the latest from consumer protection experts.

Fun Flirt or
Creepy Con Artist?

According to The Federal Trade Commission, nearly 70,000 people reported being targets of a romance scam in 2022 and associated losses reached close to $1.5 billion. FTC has charted out the top lies used by romance scammers last year and their most commonly requested payment methods:

Romance scammers’ favorite lies exposed | Federal Trade Commission (ftc.gov)

Valentines Day Hear Box alert icon romance scam text on a cellphone.
Dollar sign being digitally distorted to represent transfer

Money Transfer Scams on the Rise. 

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently released an alert and three tips to help consumers avoid an increasingly popular Money Transfer phone scam:

Did Someone Tell You to Move or Transfer Your Money? It Could be a Scam

Hang Up on AI Voice Scams

Scammers are using artificial intelligence (AI) to clone voices of loved ones in order to dupe family members into sending money. Yahoo Finance offers helpful tips on how to handle those calls.

AI ‘supercharges’ voice scams, making it easier for Americans to fall prey | Yahoo Finance

Network AI head with the words " Scam, Hoax, Swindle, Deceit, Sham, Fake, Fraud, Scheme, Trick, Cheat" coming out of mouth
gift card with bow on top of mouse trap

Don’t get trapped in a gift card scam. 

Everybody loves holiday gift cards – including scam artists. The Federal Trade Commission offers tips on how to spot and avoid gift card fraud.

Gift Card Scams | Consumer Advice (ftc.gov)

Holiday Travels or Travails?

Looking forward to traveling over Thanksgiving to visit family and friends? Don’t let online thieves trick you out of plane tickets and other holiday travel purchases.

Tips for scam-free travel | Consumer Advice (ftc.gov)

Man walking towards plane past sign that reads 'Scam Ahead?'
Envelope with stamp tool that reads stop fraud

Stamp Out Mail Fraud. 

Between October 2022 and March 2023, the US Postal Service (USPS) saw mail theft incidents jump by approximately 25% over a similar time period in the prior year. Over those six months, more than 300 mail carriers were robbed and there were 25,000 reported cases of mail theft. To learn more about the different types of mail fraud and to get tips to help you keep your mail safe, visit:

Mail Fraud – United States Postal Inspection Service (uspis.gov)

Do Yourself A Favor:
Avoid Social Media Scams

AARP’s® Fraud Watch Network shares 5 tips to avoid the ‘Do me a favor…’ messaging scams and other social media fraud:

Do Me A Favor’ Social Media Scam Hijacks Instagram Account | (aarp.org)

Hand holding cellphone with messages reading "Can you do me a favor"
ID Tag Child ID Theft

Child ID Theft is Nothing to Kid About. 

Child ID theft is no joke. Learn about the four signs of child ID theft and tips on how to keep the personal information of your youngest family members safe.

How To Protect Your Child From Identity Theft | Consumer Advice (ftc.gov)

The ABCs of School Safety

Scholastic® and the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) share six quick tips to help families prepare for a safe and happy start to the school year:

6 Rules for School Safety | Scholatic (scholastic.com)

ABC blocks stacked on each other in front of teal background with woodgrain table
Elderly group looking down at a cell phone

To Help Reduce Elder Fraud, Pass Along Pass It On 

Have you heard about Pass It On, a program created by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that encourages family, friends and caregivers to share elder fraud alerts and tips with older adults? Pass It On offers numerous resources on Elder Fraud issues including ID Theft, Tech Fraud, Romance Scams, Grandkid Schemes, Investment Fraud and more:

Pass It On | Consumer Advice (ftc.gov)

Contact Us

Need to reach us? Please contact us at the number below and our team will gladly assist you. If you would like to open an account or speak to a personal banker visit us at any of our locations located in the Greater Kansas City Metro Area.

Telephone

+1 913 321 4242

Address

(Interim Headquarters: No Branch Services)
8325 Lenexa Dr Suite 300,
Lenexa, KS 66214