Blogs

Bad actors have more than one tactic to get your attention on social media – they may also try to get their victims to join in on bank fraud schemes. Don’t become a victim of these fraudsters and their schemes. Read on to learn how to help protect yourself. Scammers are using social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn and even Telegram to convince unsuspecting victims to participate in illegal activities. Look out for these three common social engineering schemes: Money Mule Schemes One prevalent scam on social media is the money mule scheme. Scammers may approach you through fake...

August 15, 2023 – Dubuque, Iowa — Dubuque Bank & Trust, through its parent company Heartland Financial USA, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTLF) that operates under the brand name HTLF, continues to display consistent strength in the payments space. Nilson Report ranked HTLF among the top U.S. commercial credit card issuers for the eighth year in a row. In 2022, HTLF’s commercial credit card program ranked among the top 50 purchasing card programs, increasing 30 percent from the previous year. HTLF also surpassed $1 billion in purchase volume, a significant purchase volume milestone. Nilson Report’s ranking...

The future looks bright for American manufacturing, and this rings especially true for companies planning to reshore or nearshore their manufacturing facilities. Reshoring manufacturing can help rebuild America’s once-buzzing industry. Learn more on what you can expect and what reshoring can do for your bottom line. US manufacturing fell off a cliff between the 60s and 70s. Industry leaders saw the financial benefits of cheap labor in foreign countries and exploited it quickly. Take a quick look around your office. Most of those items likely stem from offshoring practices. Now, in 2023...

Primary Source of Fraud: Business Email Comprise Email communication plays a major role in how many businesses conduct their daily operations. Fraudsters continue to adapt their business email compromise (or “BEC”) schemes, as well. While they may target an entire organization, they often focus their efforts on Accounts Payable departments. According to the 2023 AFP Payments Fraud and Control Report, the number of organizations falling victim to BEC fraud has slightly increased in the last year, as has the number of organizations that have experienced financial loss due to BEC. This type of...

Fraudsters Continue to Target Check Payments A large majority of organizations are still using checks for outgoing payments and checks continue to be the primary target of payments fraud. Without preventative measures in place, every check payment could be exposing an organization to fraud. AFP reported the following as tools and processes companies have implemented to protect their business: ACH Fraud On The Rise As more companies make the transition from paper checks to electronic payments, the Association of Financial Professionals reported an increase in the number of organizations...