Surcharge-Free ATM Access Added Nationwide

American Federal announces surcharge-free ATM access through the MoneyPass® network.

With an American Federal ATM or debit card, withdraw cash surcharge-free at any of 24,000 MoneyPass® ATMs across the United States. Even make deposits at MoneyPass® ATMs that accept deposits

Regardless of where you live, work or travel, look for the MoneyPass® blue and green logo, pictured above, and use your American Federal ATM or debit card. It’s that easy. It’s part of our commitment to provide our customers with convenience.

To find the nearest MoneyPass® locations, visit the ATM Locator at moneypass.com or look them up in Online Banking. You’ll find a MoneyPass® ATM at convenient, nearby locations, including many large retail locations, convenience stores and ATMs owned by other financial institutions.

Don’t have an American Federal ATM or debit card? Contact your local American Federal Banker to apply for one today and start saving time and money at thousands of ATMs coast to coast.

Be Aware of Scams During Tax Season

Vigilance about the security of your online activities is needed every day; however, it is especially important during tax season. Hackers exploit and try to scare taxpayers through targeted phishing attacks and enticements to click a link or open an attachment in a fraudulent email or text message.

Even if you’ve already filed your taxes this season, you can still be vulnerable to tax-related cyber scams. Many schemes take advantage of users by alleging to have information about a filer’s refund, warning of unreported or under-reported income, noting a problem with the return that was previously filed, threatening a consequence for not responding, such as additional taxes or delaying a refund, or offering to pay you to participate in an IRS survey.

Some precautions will help minimize the risk of tax-season scams:

  • Do not respond to emails or text messages appearing to be from the IRS. The IRS does not initiate taxpayer communications through email, text or social media tools to request personal or financial information. The IRS does not send emails stating that you are being electronically audited or that you are getting a refund. The IRS offers recommendations on what to do if you receive a suspicious IRS-related communication on Report Phishing.
  • Never send sensitive information in an email or text. Criminals may intercept the information.
  • Do not open attachments or click on links contained in suspicious emails. Common scams tout tax rebates, offer great deals on tax-preparation services or tax-related software, provide changes to tax laws, or recommend a free tax calculator tool. If you did not solicit the information, it is likely a scam. A downloadable document, usually in .pdf format, claiming to explain new tax laws can be populated with malware that may infect your computer, potentially stealing or destroying data or causing other damage.
  • Carefully select the websites you visit. Searching for tax forms, tax preparers, or advice on the deductibility of an item requires caution. Do not visit a website by clicking on a link sent in an email, found on someone’s blog, or in an ad. The website you are taken to may look real; however, it may be a look-alike fake or a counterfeit e-file site. Secure website indicators include an URL (web page address) that begins with “https” and the “lock” icon in the browser window.
  • Be Wi-Fi wise. Wi-Fi hotspots are intended to provide convenient access to the Internet; however, they are not necessarily secure against eavesdropping by hackers.
  • Secure your computer and encrypt your personal data. Lock your laptop, tablet and cell phone. Be certain your computer and mobile devices have the proper security controls, including strong passwords, up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and a firewall. Passwords should be changed regularly and have a minimum of eight characters that include uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Ensure your personal information is properly encrypted while in transit and while in storage on your computer.
  • Shred old tax returns, personal and financial information and documents. Scammers will rummage through garbage in search of sensitive information, such as bank, credit or debit card numbers and statements, dates of birth, social security numbers and security questions to authenticate customers, such as a mother’s maiden name.
  • Check your credit report for identity theft. You are entitled to one free credit report a year through the three major credit bureaus. Order them through annualcreditreport.com.

Taxpayer Resources

The IRS has released its “Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2014,” which highlights common tax-related scam tactics, including online identity theft, tax return preparer fraud, phishing and fraudulent activities that occur offline, such as criminals who impersonate legitimate charities at tax time and place phone calls to victims to solicit money.

IRS.gov has a special section dedicated to identity theft issues, including videos, tips for taxpayers and an assistance guide. For victims, the information includes how to contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit toll free at 800-908-4490.

The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) offers security tips on “Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams” and “Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks.”

The best tax advice is to think before you click or download.

Prevent Vishing

Vishing (or Voice phISHING) takes place when you receive a call on your home phone or mobile device from someone pretending to be from a trusted source, like your bank or credit card company. But is the voice on the other end really from your bank or is it an identity thief fishing for your account information?

How Does Vishing Work?

When thieves go vishing, they most often call people using an automated system. If a call is not answered, a message is left, saying there is a problem with your bank account or debit or credit card. The call will direct you to a phone number or a website that will ask for personal account information to verify your identity.

If you return the call, a recording asks you to verify by entering your account or debit or credit card information. Stating or entering a bank account or debit or credit card number on your keypad gives the scammer the information necessary to access your account and possibly illegally withdraw funds or conduct a fraudulent transaction. The call may harvest additional details, such as a card’s expiration date and three-digit security code and the accountholder’s date of birth. If the transaction is done with a mobile device, it is also possible for thieves to gain access to all the information stored on the phone.

A fraudulent phone call may offer different reasons why your information is needed: to confirm your account or authorize a purchase, update information, express concerns about activity on your account, or unfreeze or unlock an account or a debit or credit card.

How to Avoid Vishing Scams

American Federal offers these tips to avoid falling victim to vishing:

  • Know the caller or sender. Do not respond to phone calls, faxes, emails or text messages warning of dire consequences, such as closing your account, if you do not provide sensitive information immediately.
  • Do not give personal or bank information to callers, such as account, PIN or social security numbers or passwords, even if they identify themselves as being from a company you do business with or have partial information about your account.
  • Never provide personal information in response to an unsolicited phone call, fax, email or text message, no matter how legitimate it seems. View unsolicited incoming calls with skepticism, especially regarding personal finances and from companies in the “fire” category (finance, insurance, real estate).
  • Authenticate the number before returning a voice mail or text message. Remember, American Federal will never ask for client information through an automated voice response system or text message.
  • Report suspicious activity immediately. Keep paper and pencil handy by the phone. If you suspect vishing calls, document as much information as you can. Write down the name of the caller, the company and the caller ID, then call the bank or business to independently verify, by using a telephone number from the phone book, account statement, valid company website or business card, not by Googling.
  • Never use a link in an email or text message to log in to your account. The link may be fake and take you to a fake website which looks legitimate.
  • Keep your personal financial documentation in order, review your account transactions regularly, update contact information and account managers so you can verify the legitimacy of a call and contact your bank immediately if you find any unauthorized transactions.
  • Keep your bank informed of your current home and cell phone numbers and email address in the event the bank needs to verify if suspicious activity has occurred.

Protect your Identity

The following resources offer information and guidance on protecting against identity theft: