Be Aware of Fraud Attempts against those who had PPP Loans

We have been made aware of scam attempts being perpetrated against businesses that obtained Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans during the COVID epidemic.  Five years ago, these loans helped to cover critical expenses like payroll, rent, and utilities.  At that time, banks warned Federal officials that publicly releasing the lists of PPP recipients (which included bank names, borrower details, and loan amounts) could be a treasure trove of data for criminals.

Now, that...

"Fully engaged and motivated employees are more likely to go above and beyond to provide exceptional service, which translates into better customer outcomes,” states a recent blog post authored by Louis Carter from Best Practice Institute.  A more succinct description of this month’s Star could not be found.  Over and over in the notes collected regarding this employee, these were the attributes described.  We are happy to introduce you to Adrian Aguirre, Assistant Telephone...

Austin Bank has long been a bank focused on relationships.  Whether it is with customers or with our coworkers, fostering positive connections is not just a great business practice, it is essential to success. This month, we are proud to recognize an individual who embodies this value. We are happy to introduce you to Scott Springer, Universal Banker in our e at The Woodlands, and honor his selection as July Star of the Month.

We recognize that many banks offer the same services,...

There are as many different management styles as there are managers, but there is one quality that sets truly great managers apart from the rest – they discover what is unique about each person and then capitalize on it.  Great managers know and value the unique abilities of their team members and learn how best to utilize them.  This month’s Star was chosen for her ability to discern the needs of her team members and customers, and the maturity and grace modeled in every...

The dictionary defines passion as an intense desire or enthusiasm for something. Passionate employees genuinely care about their work and their employer. The nominations for this month’s Star all highlighted her love for her job and the positive impact she has had on those around her. Please join us in congratulating Nancy Hernandez, Teller Operations Supervisor, on her selection as our May Star of the Month.

Nancy came to work for the bank as a teller in 2020. Working in the downtown...

A strong work ethic is more than just a line on your resume.  It’s the foundation on which employees can build professional growth, teams work most effectively, and organizations become more productive places where employees want to work.  This month’s Star was nominated for the many traits that elevate her work ethic to one admired and appreciated by her coworkers.  We are happy to introduce Natascha Greer, Loan Assistant in our Montgomery office, as our April 2025...

Email account compromise (EAC) is a form of fraud perpetrated on consumers and businesses in an attempt to get you to send fund transfers, ACH transfers and/or check payments.  Email account compromise perpetrated on business customers is known as Business Email Compromise or BEC.

The fraudsters find their targets primarily through social media, publicly available company email accounts, or social engineering.  After the email addresses are harvested, a series of phishing...

Are you unsatisfied with your current star rating on Google, Bing, or other platform? If so, make sure you don’t fall for online review scams.

Some scammers claim they can replace negative reviews of your product or service, add positive reviews, or boost your scores on ratings sites.  However, posting fake reviews is illegal.  Federal Trade Commission guidelines say endorsements — including reviews — must reflect the honest opinions and experiences of the...

Fraudsters love to pose as entities of authority as a fear tactic to get personal or business information and money. Some common entities that scammers try to pretend to be include:

Businesses, just as consumers, also need to take extra care in their responsibility in protecting their and their customer’s information.  Fraudsters have specific tactics to try to scam business clients.

There are many ways a business can see fraudulent activity, but one of the faster growing methods is via online banking. Corporate Account Takeover (CATO) is a form of corporate identity theft where cyber thieves gain control of a business’ bank account by stealing...