May 2026 - Star of the Month - Melanie Valdez

One of the core values held by Austin Bank is that of nurturing.  By definition, nurturing is the process of caring for, supporting, and encouraging the growth, development, or success of someone or something.  This month’s Star has been the very picture of this definition since she came to work in our Marshall office.  Her employees made sure to note it in their nominations, and we are excited to honor this trait as we recognize Melanie Valdez, Retail Office Manager, as our...

What is Cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrency is a virtual or digital currency that uses cryptography to secure transactions. It is decentralized, meaning it does not have a central authority that regulates or taxes it.

Crypto is based on blockchain technology, which is a distributed ledger that records transactions and is enforced by a network of computers. No participant can change or tamper with a transaction after it’s been recorded to the shared ledger. Each block is connected...

In an organization the size of our bank, it truly takes efforts from everyone on the team to ensure positive customer interactions, increased productivity, and a supportive workplace culture. As John Nash said in the movie A Beautiful Mind – “. . . the best result would come from everyone in the group doing what is best for himself and the group.” This month’s Star personifies the term ‘team player’ and is praised by those around her for the job she is doing....

We have become aware of fraud attempts against some of our customers in which fraudsters are impersonating officers of the bank, going so far as to spoof bank phone numbers in an attempt to appear legitimate.

In these attempts, customers have been asked for online banking credentials, or sent a link to online banking which is actually a fraud site designed to collect your credentials. Fraudsters may even go so far as to attempt to collect answers for security questions or security...

When customers enter the Austin Bank office in Frankston, they are consistently greeted with a smiling face and a positive, friendly attitude.  This helps set the stage for the rest of the customer’s experience and provides a great foundation for the team to build upon.  We are honored to introduce our March Star of the Month, and the first contact you’ll meet upon entry into Frankston, Brenda McMichael.

Brenda currently serves as a customer service representative,...

How Scammers Operate on Social Media 

Fraudsters use various tactics to lure unsuspecting users into their schemes, including: 

The Information Technology (IT) team at Austin Bank is critical to our organization and serves as the backbone for operational efficiency, data security, and strategic growth.  This team is responsible for ensuring banking systems are available 24/7, protecting sensitive data from cyber threats, and supporting employee productivity by managing technology infrastructure.  This month we are pleased to shine the spotlight on a member of this team and recognize Lance Byrnes, Systems Administrator,...

An income tax scam is a fraudulent scheme where criminals impersonate tax authorities like the IRS or trick individuals into providing sensitive personal information such as their social security number, full legal name, bank details, credit card numbers, or history of their financial transactions. These scams are often timed in order to come across as very realistic and usually occur during tax season.

Scammers...

This month’s Star brings creativity and a passion for telling the bank’s story to every task assigned. We are excited to have her on the Austin Bank team and look forward to watching her career grow. Please help us congratulate Sydney Peloquin, Digital Marketing Specialist, on her selection as our January Star of the Month.

Sydney began working for the bank in October 2023 as a teller at our Bullard location. When a position opened up in the Marketing department, she...

Starting the year off right with a check of your finances and fraud prevention is a crucial step in financial management.

Verifying that the bank has your correct contact information is critical in maintaining communication.  To update any of the following, please contact our Customer Care Center at 800.644.9275 or visit your local office.

Utilize...