Latest News From Beacon

Join Beacon's CEO and Board of Directors for the 81st Annual Meeting.

The meeting was presented online on Tuesday, May 5th, 2020 and highlighted...

• Strong growth from 2019.
• The upgrade and relocation of our Buena Vista branch.
• The upcoming opening of our New Bedford branch.
• The addition of financial resources to our website, including the Online Learning Center and Beacon Seminars.
• And more!

The full annual meeting can be viewed here...

Phishing Email Scams

Phishing is one of the most common types of scams. You get an email that looks like one you've received from a company or individual before... everything looks authentic… same logos, same color schemes, same format… but it’s not from that company. It’s from a scammer and it’s requesting something as simple as a password change. You click a link and follow instructions and before you know it, a fake company now has your information.

How do you avoid a phishing email? Be cautious of clicking links. If you receive an email... even if it's from a familiar source... double check before you click. Go directly to a company's website to do things like change your password or update payment info or if it's from someone you know, call them to confirm the link is real before you click.

Fake Software Updates

“Update Adobe Flash”… “Install a Plug In”… “Download the Latest Version”… Pop-ups can be alarming, but you should NEVER CLICK ON THEM. Scammers use pop-ups to lead you to a page where they can collect your information, install viruses on your PC or even lock you out of your computer and demand a ransom. 

If you get a pop-up, X out of it immediately. If it’s something you think is needed on your computer, research first and always go directly to the source before you try to download anything. If you need to download the latest version of Flash, go to Adobe’s website to get your download and information about installing it.

Online Shopping Scams

You're eyeing an adorable dress on Facebook's new feed and it continues to show up when you're scrolling, but you don't recognize the vendor. It's probably just a small business, but be wary of website and ads for companies you're not familiar with. Fake links and websites are easy for scammers to create. You might think you’re going to a cute online boutique, but you’re actually giving all your personal info, including your credit card number to someone who will abuse that information.

The best way to avoid online shopping scams is to be diligent about where you shop online. Only shop on websites that you know are legitimate and have been proven safe. You don't have to avoid small businesses online altogether, but research the organization before you buy and always go directly to the site, rather than clicking a link.

Time is important and today, it seems less available than ever. Waiting a week for a Debit or Credit Card to arrive in the mail can really hold up things that are important to you.

That's why Beacon will print your new Debit or Credit Card in any of our convenient branch locations* on the spot.

No waiting a week for the mail...
No worrying if your card got lost...
No cancelled Netflix because you didn't update your card number in time... 

Whether you're replacing an expired or lost card or opening a new account, you'll have your Debit or Credit Card in hand and ready to use when you walk out the door. It's that easy and that convenient.

Visit a Beacon Branch Today!

Scammers are finding new and inventive ways to try to capture your information. Here are a few tips to keep your information secure.

1. Be wary of look alike website, text messages and emails.

Someone attempting to gain secure information will use a variety of ways to pretend to be a reputable organization. They can duplicate a website, send an email that appears to be from an institution or even send out text messages warning of errors with your account. You should always follow up these types of contact by calling your financial institution directly. 

2. Keep your passwords secure and don't make them too easy.

Make sure you're changing your passwords often and be sure to make them difficult to predict. Never use birthdays, nicknames or pets names and try to vary up between characters, numbers and symbols.

3. Click carefully.

The web is becoming trickier and trickier. Things such as Google Ads, pop up links and Social Media Ads can be misleading. While you think you're checking out that really cool jacket that shows up in your news feed every day and keeps calling your name, it could be a false link to a scammer's website. It's always best to look up or google the website you wish to shop from directly and pay close attention to the URL bar before you click. Be sure to scroll past all the Google Ads in your search that are usually at the top. They can sometimes be paid for by scammers too. 

4. Verify a site's authenticity before you buy.

If it's a little known start-up business, sometimes it can be difficult to know if a site is secure or not, but that doesn't always mean it's a bad site... just a small business. Be sure to do your research before making any purchases. A simple google search can sometimes weed out sites that are known to scam people. Just google the name of the online store you're shopping at with the word "reviews". Scroll past that store's pages and check out an online review site such as Yelp. People are quick to report if they experience problems with certain businesses and if there are a lot of review with similar issues, you may want to be wary of ordering from that site.