Recently, the first payments for the Child Tax Credit Advance from The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 went out to qualified recipients. Shortly after, the IRS warned recipients about an increasing number of social engineering scam attempts.
According to this article posted by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), “The FTC knows that people who talk about scams are much less likely to fall for them. So, when people of any age are on their own too much, they don’t have the chance to talk things out. And when scammers — who are calling, emailing, and texting — might be a person’s main source of contact, nothing good happens next.”
Tax season is here again. e-Filing your return is convenient, secure, and allows your payment to process or refund to be deposited quicker than when filing by mail. Instructions for finding your SESLOC account information for withdrawal or deposit are below, as well as information on how to set up a custom alert to notify you when the IRS processes it.
The Criminal Investigation (CI) unit is a special criminal division of the IRS. The CI is tasked with investigating and uncovering tax-related crimes and prosecuting these cases. Each year the CI provides the IRS an annual report detailing the work of the CI and highlighting their successes and enforcements related to tax and financial crimes.
In today’s world it is more important than ever to focus on the things that we can control to better safeguard our financial future. It’s easy to get complacent, lulled into a false sense of security, when there are many other more urgent things to think about.
Sweetheart scams, also known as romance scams, are becoming increasingly common as people seek out connections online. The FTC reports that Americans lost over $209 million to sweetheart scams in 2019 — which is 40% more than reported the previous year.
The holidays are upon us, and so is the increase in risk for identity theft. Fictional characters are a big part of the season, but sadly they’ve also become a big part of identity thieves’ tool kits as well. According to a Federal Trade Commission Report, over the last five years, Synthetic Identity Fraud has become the fastest-growing type of financial crime in the United States and accounts for 20% of the credit-related losses.
The rise of online shopping during the pandemic has led to a proportional increase in online fraud and scams. As the Holiday season approaches, we want to make sure you are armed with the knowledge and the skills to protect yourself. With a little awareness, you can avoid online shopping fraud as the busiest time of the year for retail shopping is shifting into high gear.
Scammers are always looking for innovative ways to separate you from your money. Whether their goal is to gain access to your cash, or to gain control of your personal information so they can commit fraud, they frequently play on psychological manipulation to get you to comply. Here some common scams to be aware of:
Identity theft is the illegal use of another’s personal data, such as name, birth date and Social Security number. A casually discarded receipt, a personal document or checkbook kept in a desk drawer, mail theft, and dumpster diving are all very real threats.
Direct Deposit is now easier than ever, thanks to our new Direct Deposit Switch Tool in Online Banking. Get started managing deposits today!
As of May 17, 2025, SESLOC’s brokerage arm offering non-deposit investment services transitioned from CUSO Financial Services, LP to LPL Financial.
A tax on credit unions is a new tax on you. Take action today: Contact your U.S. representatives and Senators and tell them: Don’t Tax My Credit Union.
No matter where you live, credit unions play a critical role in ensuring a level playing field for everyone to achieve their financial goals.
For the fourth time in five years, SESLOC has been recognized by the leading member experience solution company as one of the top credit unions for customer experience in the United States