Skip to Main Content
Alvy+, a new digital banking experience is here! Download today!

Town and Country Bank

Main Navigation

  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Search
  • Pay Loan
    • Make a Mortgage Payment
    • Make a Loan Payment
  • Login
    • Online Banking
    • Home Loan
    • Make a Mortgage Payment
    • Trust & Investment Services
    • Make a Loan Payment
    • Credit Card
  • Menu
  • Home
  • Personal Banking
    • Personal Checking Accounts
    • Personal Savings Accounts
    • Loans
      • Auto Loans
      • Personal Loans
      • Home Equity
      • Land & Lot Loans
      • Bridge Loans
    • Make a Loan Payment
    • Personal Debit and Credit Cards
  • Business Banking
    • Business Lending
    • Business Accounts
    • Treasury Management
    • Business Debit and Credit Cards
    • Alternative Financing Options
    • Meet Our Business Bankers
    • Request a Business Financial Review
  • Home Loans
    • Find the Perfect Home Loan
    • Meet our Mortgage Lenders
    • Mortgage Calculators and Rates
    • Mortgage FAQs
    • Community Mortgage Partners
      • About Us
      • Our Services
      • Our Loan Products
      • Contact
  • Trust & Investments
    • Personal Financial Planning Services
    • Business Financial Planning Services
    • Meet our Trust & Investments Team
  • Customer Support
    • Online & Mobile Banking Services
    • Account Resources
      • Overdraft Protection
      • Reorder Checks
      • Financial Calculators
      • Switch to Us
      • Online Forms
      • Online Security
      • FAQs
    • Additional Services
  • Sprig The Word Blog
  • Our Team
  • About Us
    • Community Support Request
    • About Our Bank
    • Investor Relations
    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
    • Locations & Hours
    • Careers
      • Careers in Mortgage Lending
      • Commercial Banking Development Program
    • Events Calendar
    • News
      • 2022 Financial Reports
      • 2021 Financial Reports
      • 2020 Financial Reports
    • Contact Us
    • Connect With Us

  • Sprig The Word Blog

Beware of Scams – Especially During COVID-19

5/7/2020

SHARE

While consumers should always watch for scams, crises present unique opportunities for thieves to try new tricks or find more people to con. Some are using more recent COVID-19 related scams, while others are working harder to get you to fall for their old ways of swindling.

What to Watch for:

  • Emails asking for donations – Scammers send emails that look like they’re from a legitimate charity asking for a donation or from a company you do business with asking for a payment. Do not click on any links or attachments in emails unless you know the person who sent it or you were expecting the email, says Mike Murphy, Town and Country Bank’s Senior Vice President, Director of Technology. If you are suspicious of the email’s message but know the sender, always get verbal confirmation that it did, indeed, come directly from him or her before opening any content. For businesses asking for donations that you would like to give to, go to the groups’ websites or call phone numbers listed on their websites. When you receive an email and someone says you owe a business money, get the company’s phone number from the phone book or statements you have, then call it directly to make sure you’re talking to the real business.
  • Calls or emails asking for your banking information – Scammers try to get your bank account information so they can move money from it or deposit money into it. They may gain your trust by developing a romance with you, saying you overpaid a bill and they are now needing to refund you money, playing on your generosity by saying they are sick, or pretending to be a relative who is stuck overseas and needs travel money. If they want to send you money, refuse it – it’s likely a bad check. After you deposit it, they typically say they paid you too much and ask you to send them a refund. “Never give out your banking information,” says Andrea Moore, Town and Country Bank’s Fraud Manager. “If you get anybody who’s asking you to do something that you’re unsure about, talk to your banker.”

Tips from the Federal Trade Commission:

  • Don’t respond to texts, emails or calls about checks from the government. Some scammers are claiming to be the government contacting you about your stimulus check or about the pandemic.
  • Ignore online offers for vaccinations. There are no products proven to treat or prevent COVID-19 at this time.
  • Be wary of ads for test kits. The FDA recently announced approval for one home test kit, which requires a doctor’s order. However, most test kits being advertised have not been approved by the FDA and aren’t necessarily accurate.
  • Hang up on robocalls. Scammers are using illegal robocalls to pitch everything from low-priced health insurance to work-at-home schemes.
  • Watch for emails claiming to be from the CDC or WHO. Use official sites like govand usa.gov/coronavirus to get the latest information.

The Federal Trade Commission posts information about current scams. To learn about pandemic-related scams, visit: FTC.gov or sign up for their scam alerts at FTC scam alerts.

The bottom line is when in doubt, call your banker. “We stay up to date on current scams, and we can place holds on checks so we can investigate the situation,” Moore says.

More Posts

Open an accountOpen account
Find a locationlocations

  • Facebook Logo
  • Twitter Logo
  • LinkedIn Logo
  • Contact Us
  • Locations & Hours
  • Financial Calculators
  • Careers
  • Financial Privacy Disclosure
  • Electronic Documents (Paperless) Disclosure
  • Other Disclosures
  • Financial Privacy Opt Out Form
  • Community Support Request
  • Routing Number: 071123262
  • NMLS# 411614
    Town and Country Bank
  • NMLS# 423128
    Town and Country Banc Mortgage Services, Inc.
  • Go to FDIC website
  • Go to Equal Housing Lender website
  • Go to AARP BankSafe Trained institution website

Copyright © 2022 Town and Country Bank All Rights Reserved. An Illinois State chartered banking organization. | Please note that Investments are not a deposit, not FDIC Insured, not insured by any federal government agency, not guaranteed by the bank and may go down in value.

Privacy Policy

Town and Country Bank is regulated by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. For accolades or complaints, please contact us by sending a letter to: Customer Relations Office, 3601 Wabash Ave., Springfield, Illinois 62711. If there is no sensitive customer information, such as social security or account numbers, you can send feedback to the following email address: customerrelations@townandcountrybank.com

You Are Now Leaving

You are now leaving the Town and Country Bank/Peoples Prosperity Bank website. You are about to access a third party web site or service that is not owned or controlled by Town and Country Bank/Peoples Prosperity Bank and therefore, may not be FDIC insured.

While we believe these resources are reliable, Town and Country Bank/Peoples Prosperity Bank is not responsible for and will not guarantee the products, services, information, or content provided by this third party.

Continue Cancel ×