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Financial Caregiving Learn what you should know about handling another person’s finances. 6 Topics

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Family Financial Planning Bring the family together to talk about a financial plan. 7 Topics

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You’re Having a Baby! Keep These 7 Things in Mind As you prepare to welcome your little angel, it’s important not to overlook more worldly considerations. We spoke to three First Bank team members about financial considerations for every soon-to-be parent. 3 min read

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Learn the Cybercrime Warning Signs The number of cybercrimes continues to increase day by day. This can sometimes make it hard for you to completely protect yourself from these threats. But the more you know about these scams, the better chance you’ll have at identifying and avoiding them. What is a cybercrime? Cybercriminals aim to exploit your information for their own personal gain, causing harm to financial stability and exposing secure information. Cybercrimes are those criminal activities where a computer or the internet is used as a tool for fraudulent claims, to gain personal or business information, or to infect networks and devices. *First Bank will always take the appropriate measures to keep your personal information safe. In this article, we have outlined some common cyber scams, so that you can understand what to look out for. Some common scams/fraud includes: Phishing Email Scams Perhaps the most common type of scam is phishing, usually done via email and designed to look like they are coming from someone at your company, someone you know, or a notable figure. Because these emails look like they can come from anyone, it is easy to be caught in this form of scam. It may be hard to fully protect yourself from them, but it is always best to double check who is requesting your information. Payroll Scams In Protecting Against Fraud from Nacha, a payroll scam is when, “fraudsters target individual employees by directing the employees to update or confirm their payroll information via a fake payroll platform that spoofs their employer’s actual payroll platform. In some cases, the fraudster may claim the employee must do one of these: view a confidential email from human resources or the payroll department, view changes to the employee’s account, or confirm that the account should not be deleted.” Cybercriminals will use the stolen credentials to change payment information within the business’s payment platform. This type of scam can be extremely dangerous to an individual and a company because it exposes both user and business information. Romance Scams According to fbi.gov, romance scams, or online dating scams, “occur when a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or 7 min read

Money Mule Scams: How Criminals Convert Fraud into Profit What is a Money Mule? Money mules are individuals who unknowingly or knowingly assist criminals in laundering money, often by transferring illegally sourced funds between accounts or across borders. The source of the money comes from fraudulent scams or other illegal activities like drug trafficking. Criminals use their mule’s identity and layer the illegal transactions in an attempt to hide the illegal funds from law enforcement. Once properly hidden, the criminals are able to access their funds and cash out on their illegal activity. Common Money Mule Scams There are a number of ways that criminals will try to hide their money from law enforcement. Money mules are a form of money laundering, where criminals attempt to make their illegally sourced funds seem legitimate. Here are a few common ways people can unknowingly fall victim to money mule scams. 1- Deceptive Job Offers Money mule scammers will act as employers offering high-paying, remote positions. Common job titles could be payment processor, financial coordinator, or international fund liaison. While these job opportunities seem legitimate, their primary function is to receive and transfer illegal funds. The criminal will wire a large sum of funds to the mule, then instruct them to keep a percentage and transfer the remainder of the money to a different account or purchase a certain amount of cryptocurrency. The criminal hides behind their mule’s identity and is able to more easily access their funds. 2 – Romance Scams This type of mule scam exploits a victim’s emotions and trust. Scammers will find their victims on social media sites, dating sites or other online chat channels. They will deceive their victims with made up personas often using stolen photos and fake details. Over time, the scammer will attempt to build an emotional connection by sending affectionate messages or personal stories. Once they feel they have earned the victim’s trust, they will fabricate a story requiring financial assistance. These are oftentimes medical emergencies or travel issues that need quick funding into an account. Once the scammer has convinced their victim to oblige, they will continue to exploit their trust to launder their illegal funds. 3 – Lottery, Prize, and Investment Scams If something seems too good to be true – it probably is. These scams typically start via an unsolicited message or phone call informing you that you’ve won a prize. They instruct their victims to take a number of steps before they can claim their prize, and that is where the danger lies. These steps could include gathering your personal details, wiring a “prize tax” or fraudulent fee, accepting a large sum of money, and/or transferring a portion of the winning funds to another account. Similarly, investment scammers typically promise their mule victims “return” for their illegal money transfers – sometimes in the form of cryptocurrency or percentages of the money they wire. What are the Consequences? Large overdraft balances are most often the first consequence to the money mule. Once the criminal has access to their mule’s account, they typically push a large lump sum out of the account. This amount oftentimes will exceed the typical balance in the mule’s account, leaving them with a substantial negative balance to dig out from. Acting as a money mule is illegal, whether the crime is knowing or unknowingly committed. The punishment for these crimes include imprisonment and federal charges. Additionally, your identity and personal information could be stolen from the criminals involved in the money mule scheme. Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): The IC3 is run by the FBI and accepts online internet crime complaints from the victim at www.ic3.gov How to Protect Yourself As with most methods of protecting yourself against fraud – remain cautious whenever someone requests your personal information or banking information. Only share those details with people or organizations that you trust. If you receive a job offer from an online business, do your due diligence to confirm they are a legitimate company. Additionally, a legitimate employer will not ask you to form a company or open a new bank account on their behalf. Always be cautious if anyone asks you to wire or transfer money on their behalf. Be weary if something seems too good to be true, like you’ve won an unsolicited prize or been chosen to participate in a giveaway. Scammers act on urgency. If someone is pressuring you to do something that you’re uncomfortable with, walk away. If you or someone you know is afraid they are involved in a money mule scheme, it’s not too late to stop. Stop communicating with the person giving the directions. Tell your financial institution and consider changing accounts. Report suspicious communications or activity to law enforcement. The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is the Nation’s central hub for reporting cyber crime and run by the FBI. Visit www.ic3.gov for resources and more information about how to file a report. Maintain receipts, contact information and communications (emails, text messages, voicemails) so that information can be passed to law enforcement, if needed. 5 min read

a wolf in sheep's clothing works at a scam

Can You Spot a Scam? Can you spot a scam? Most people are confident that they can tell the difference between fact and fiction, but the truth is that it isn’t always easy to fend off fraud. Want to test your knowledge? Click through the scenario below and think about whether it’s a helpful notice from your bank or if it might be a scam. Read on to find out the answer! Is this your bank... or is it fraud? 1) Your phone rings. Caller ID shows the number as your local bank. 2) You pick up the phone. The caller addresses you by name and seems to be familiar with your bank account number, address, and transaction history. 3) They warn you of possible fraud on your account. The caller asks if you're familiar with several recent transactions and reassures you that they'll help you protect your account. 4) They ask you to confirm your identity. Before the caller can help, they ask you to verify your identity by sharing the last 4 digits of your debit card or a one-time passcode. So... what do you think? Is the person on the phone a cunning fraudster or an honest banker? How to fight fraud and find red flags In the scenario above, the call is probably a scam. But the caller’s familiarity with your personal details may cause you to drop your guard long enough for them to retrieve your Secure Access Code (SAC) or a one-time code texted to your phone. They may use that code to change the password of your bank account, letting them in and locking you out, or to add your card to their digital wallet, which lets them use your card to make unauthorized purchases. It’s important to know that First Bank will never ask you for information like a one-time passcode if we’re the ones reaching out to you. Here are some other common red flags to look out for… Keep an eye out for these common tricks: Unexpected calls or messages, even if they look official. If you get any kind of communication claiming to be from First Bank — or another trusted source — stop and think about whether it might be fraud before responding. Caller ID and emails are easily faked. Pressure to act fast. Scammers often create a false sense of urgency to keep you from calmly thinking things through. They may claim that your account is at risk or that you owe money on a debt. Remember that legitimate businesses are unlikely to rush you. Requests for sensitive information. While we may send you a one-time code to verify your identity after you call us, remember that a First Bank employee will never reach out to you and then ask for your one-time passcode, PIN, or password. ` Being told not to contact your bank. Fraudsters may say that your local branch is under investigation for misconduct or that your usual banker isn’t available. Don’t be afraid to hang up and call a trusted number to confirm whether there’s really a problem. Unusual payment methods. If you’re ever asked to pay with a gift card, wire money to a specific account, or use a payment app, stop and call your local bank. Cryptocurrency and large cash withdrawals are also common. Scammers prefer payments like these because they’re hard to trace, and it’s often impossible to recover stolen funds. Learn more about financial fraud If you suspect a scam, here’s what to do. Need to make a quick decision in the heat of the moment? Remember these important fraud protection tips: ✅ Always double-check the details ✅ Stop and think through the situation ✅ Keep your private information secure ✅ Talk to someone you trust — like your local bank ✅ Only make payments through familiar platforms ✅ Don’t be afraid to trust your intuition And remember — fraudsters don’t only go after regular folks. They target business accountholders, too. Keep an eye out for invoices from unfamiliar vendors, urgent payment requests, unusual payroll changes, and spoofed emails. Some business accounts, like First Bank’s Business Elite, offer built-in treasury tools and fraud protection. 5 min read

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