Recently, fraudsters have targeted seniors in our area with what is known as a “grandparent scam.” That’s because these scammers call a potential victim, portray themselves as a lawyer, and claim that their child or grandchild was involved in an accident where someone was injured, and the victim’s child or grandchild is being held in jail until bail money is paid in cash. The scammer might tell the victim there is a gag order by a judge and they cannot talk to anyone about it. They will even tell the victim to lie to their bank if they ask any questions. You should know that the police will never send someone to your house to pick up cash, or ask you to leave it with a courier. If you receive a call like this, try to contact your child or grandchild using the method you normally would. You can also ask the caller which police department made the supposed arrest. Then, hang up and call that police department and ask to speak to an officer to verify the claim. If you believe you may have been targeted by fraud, you can report it by visiting https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/ . Our bankers are also here to help. Get in touch at hillsbank.com by clicking the chat bubble on the bottom-right-hand side of your screen to chat with a banker during business hours, give us a call at 1-800-445-5725 (1-800-HILLSBK), or visit your local Hills Bank. G randparent S cam
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3rd Quarter 2021
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