The Bottom Line
Small business is important to Central Oregon, and to Mid Oregon. Find tips and resources for business, and information about Mid Oregon’s commercial services and business members.
Don’t Let the Imposters Win!
Imposter scams often begin with a phone call, message, or email from someone pretending to be someone you trust—like a family member or a government official. Scammers are skilled at creating a sense of urgency to elicit strong emotional reactions, forcing you to act quickly without thinking things through.
Common Scenarios to Watch Out For:
The Grandparent Scam:
A caller posing as your grandchild in distress, claiming they need money for bail or an emergency. Phony Government Officials: Impersonators pretending to be representatives from the IRS, Social Security, or other government bodies, threatening legal action or demands for immediate payments.
Fictitious Company Representatives:
Scammers may contact you, pretending to be from a company you recognize, claiming there’s an urgent issue that requires your attention and money.
How to Protect Yourself
To protect yourself and your loved ones, be aware of the following red flags:
Urgent, Emotional Pleas:
Scammers often try to instill panic or fear to provoke hasty decisions.
Unusual Payment Methods:
Be cautious of requests for payment via gift cards, wire transfers, or other nontraditional methods.
Threats:
Legitimate organizations typically won’t threaten you with legal action or account closure to secure payment.
Requests for Personal Information:
Never share sensitive information unless you are completely sure of who you’re speaking with.
Best Practices to Avoid Falling Victim
Strategies to help you and your family avoid falling victim to scams:
Verify:
If you receive a suspicious call or message, hang up and contact the person or organization directly through a trusted number. Don’t use any contact information provided in the suspicious communication.
Slow Down:
Scammers thrive on urgency. Take your time to process the information and verify it before making any decisions.
Educate Others:
Share information about scams with your loved ones. The more people who are aware, the less likely scammers will succeed.
To learn more about protecting your personal information and finances, visit Mid Oregon’s Security and Fraud Page: https://ow.ly/hjHm50V9XE1.
Think you are too smart to be scammed?
Think you are too smart to be scammed? You may be right, but in these fraud-frenzy times, whether it’s you or a friend or family member—anyone can fall for a scam.
Emails
That “urgent” emails and texts about your account? Emails saying your account’s locked can be scary. But before you click that link, take a deep breath. Financial institutions will never contact you out of the blue like that with such urgency.
Your move: Instead of clicking, call them directly or visit their official website or app to check your account. If there’s a real issue, you’ll see it there.
You’ve Won a Prize!
“You’ve Won!” …but you have to send money to get it. Those messages saying you’ve won a prize but need to pay a “small fee” to claim it? Total scam.
Your move: Just delete it and block the sender. Real prize winnings don’t make you pay upfront.
Random Calls
Suspicious calls asking for your info? Someone calling claiming to be from us (or any financial institution) and asking for your account numbers, passwords, or PIN? Big red flag!
Your move: Just politely hang up. Then, call us directly using the number on your card or our official website. We’ll be able to tell you if we actually contacted you.
Social Media
Weird Link in an email, text or social media? Our fingers and thumbs are quick, but take a second before tapping on links from unknown numbers or sketchy-looking social media posts. They can lead to fake websites designed to steal your info.
Your move: If you’re unsure, don’t click. Go directly to the official website of the company or organization mentioned.
Urgent Requests
Feeling Pressured to Act Fast? Scammers love to create a sense of urgency so you don’t have time to think. If someone’s pushing you to make a decision or send money right now or face bad consequences, that’s a major warning sign.
Your move: Take a step back and don’t fall for the scam. Legitimate requests will give you time to consider.
Education is your best defense against fraud. To learn more about protecting your personal information and finances, visit Mid Oregon’s Security and Fraud Page.
Don’t Let the Summer Heat Up Your Budget
Summer can be packed full of fun things that distract you from your financial goals. In the midst of all that fun, it can be easy to lose sight of you budget.
The temptation to spend a little extra here, or there, is common—but that temptation can lead to overspending.
Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your summer, while being kind to your budget.
Try a Staycation
This summer, trade in you costly vacation for an exciting adventure close to home. Rediscover the wonders of Central Oregon and unleash that inner tourist while visiting this vibrant area where we work, live, and play.
Central Oregon is the Pacific Northwest’s playground and if you’ve never taken advantage of our local attractions, now may be the time. Have you visited the High Desert Museum or Lava Lands Visitor Center—how about floating the Deschutes River? Test your endurance hiking the South Sisters, or Misery Ridge at Smith Rock. Are you a music lover? Check out the dozens of free concert series in the area (see our calendar for details). We live in an amazing area and its all within reach!
Kids Play
Entertaining the kiddos during the summer break can be expensive. But fun activities that won’t break the budget do actually exist. If you’re looking to keep the kids occupied, head to the nearest discount store or garage sale and buy some low-cost toys and games. Check with the local recreation center and libraries, they can be a great resource for no-cost activities for kids of all ages. Or you could get together with other parents to plan special outings such as sports meetups or playdates at someone’s house. Kids can still have a great time socializing with their friends and learning new things without you breaking the bank to give them a fun summer.
Cool your air conditioning costs
Air conditioning is one of the biggest expenses over the summer months. Did you know you can save 10 percent a year on your cooling bills by setting your thermostat just seven to 10 degrees higher for eight hours a day? You can also save by doing simple things like closing the blinds, using a fan, getting a programmable thermostat or cleaning your air vents. You should also look around doors and windows for gaps or cracks you could caulk in order to avoid letting cold air out and warm air into your home.
Leave the car in the garage
Take advantage of those longer days and sunny rays and switch to walking or riding your bike (check out the links above for amazing trail options). Making this change will save at the gas pump, and free up money for other things you want to do this summer.
Cash in your credit card rewards
Thanks to reward points, using a credit card to pay for summer fun can definitely be a bonus. For example, with Mid Oregon Everyday Rewards VISA you receive a point for every $1 and double points for gas and groceries: $1,000 gas/groceries = 2,000 points; $500 miscellaneous purchases = 500 points. Total of 2,500 points = $25 in prepaid gift cards or cash! Cha-ching.
By following these simple tips, hopefully you can make sure you don’t overspend during this season while still enjoying all the fun that summer has to offer. Remember, summer is about quality time together with family and friends—not just the receipts and souvenirs you collect along the way.
If you do travel outside of Central Oregon, take advantage of all the travel services Mid Oregon offers through digital banking like, notifications, alerts and letting us know that you are traveling for extra security on you debit and credit cards.