2025 is shaping up to be a banner year for scammers. Losses from internet crime in the U.S. hit $16.6 billion in 2024. One in five Americans say they’ve been hit by financial fraud. Fraudsters are leaning harder into deepfakes, AI, romance investment traps, and banking spoofing.
If you’re a customer (or future customer) of Farmers Bank & Trust, here are the danger zones and your armor.
High-Risk Scams to Watch
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Pig-Butchering / Crypto Romance-Investment Scams
These are the heavy hitters now. Scammers form fake relationships online (dating apps, DMs), build trust, then pitch “can’t-miss” crypto or investment deals. Victims pour in money over time—until the scammer vanishes. -
Impersonation / Deepfake Scams
Criminals are now using AI to clone voices or videos of people you trust—sometimes even your own family—saying there’s an “emergency” that demands you send money.
Imposter scams targeting older adults have soared: the FTC says older victims reporting $100K+ losses jumped eightfold from 2020 to 2024. -
Fake Bank Websites & Smishing (Text Phishing)
You get a “Your account’s been locked! Click here to login” text. The link leads to a knockoff site designed to steal your credentials. Or the message asks you to “verify” your info. Do not click. -
Authorized Push Payment (APP) Fraud / Wire Scams
This is when you’re tricked into transferring money—thinking it’s legitimate (e.g., “IRS,” “social security,” “debt relief”)—but the funds go to a criminal. Once the money moves, it’s hard to reverse.
Smart Tips to Stay Scam-Resistant
| Tactic | What You Do |
|---|---|
| Pause & verify | If someone calls, texts, or emails you insisting on urgent action, take a deep breath. Contact that organization on your own (official number) to confirm. |
| Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) | Add extra hurdles (like one-time codes) when logging in. Even if your password leaks, it’s not game over. |
| Beware emotional manipulation | Scammers exploit fear, romance, crisis. If your gut says “this is weird,” it probably is. |
| Never send money to strangers | Especially to crypto wallets or via wire/Zelle for people you haven’t met. |
| Keep software & devices updated | Patches close holes criminals exploit. Use antivirus and anti-malware tools. |
| Educate family & elders | The most vulnerable are often older folks or people just getting comfortable with tech. Talk to them about deepfakes, impersonation, phishing. |
At Farmers Bank & Trust, we are committed to staying ahead of fraud. We’ll continue to upgrade our fraud detection systems and send you timely alerts if we detect suspicious activity on your account. But we can’t do it alone, you’re your best line of defense.
Please share this with friends, post it. Let’s make talking about scams uncool for scammers and embarrass them out of business.
