Netspend Blog

Curious if you can make cash deposits at an ATM? The short answer is "yes," but there are limitations you need to know about before you try.

How much do you need to save for retirement? 15% of your income is a good start, but individual circumstances are important to consider.

Have you lost your job through no fault of your own? Learn how to apply for and get unemployment benefits to help you get by until the next job comes along.

This spring, take some time to clean up your digital clutter and get and stay organized. Your financial security depends on it!

Identity theft is more common than you might think. Learn how to protect yourself by following our simple identity theft prevention tips. Identity theft is a common problem that a lot of people aren't prepared for. No one ever expects it to happen to them. To protect yourself, the two best things you can do are educate yourself and put some of our identity theft prevention tips into practice. Below, we cover what you need to know about identity theft, including how to check for identity theft on your credit report and how to report it.

There are more and more threats to your identity each day. Learn what the results of our quiz tell us about consumer knowledge of fraud and scams.

Scams tend to increase in times of crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic has been no different. Now, scammers are targeting vulnerable populations with scams related to the COVID-19 vaccine. Consumers are reporting a variety of vaccine-related scams, mostly around scheduling and paying for the vaccine.

Each year, the IRS releases a list of the biggest IRS scams to watch out for, called the Dirty Dozen. This year's IRS Dirty Dozen list contains some familiar scams, including phishing and ransomware attacks, which have also been featured on previous lists. Fraudsters have designed increasingly complex scams over the years, so it's important to keep up with the IRS's latest guidance at tax time.

Over the past few months, millions of people have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, many Americans are applying for unemployment benefits and are struggling to find work. Sadly, with so many people applying for benefits, unemployment scams are rife and hard to avoid.

Each year, the IRS releases the Dirty Dozen – a list of the largest tax scams they saw for that year's taxes. The IRS scams list reads like a playbook from the past, with phishing, identity theft, and fake charities making the top 12. These common scams are increasing in complexity, so they require a careful look. In addition to expected appearances, the list is dominated by private, white-collar fraud, including abusive tax shelters, partially-fraudulent business credit applications, and falsified credit claims.

Identity theft is common. So common, in fact, that according to a poll, 60 million Americans were affected in 2018. To fraudsters, data is a valuable commodity, and your risk of exposure happens every time you connect. In addition to more victims having to pay out of pocket for their losses, a significant number of people do not yet use a more secure internet connection. For example, according to VPN Mentor, only 16% of Americans used VPNs (Virtual Privacy Networks) when connected to the internet, and that’s giving identity thieves precisely the breach they need to access lucrative information. To state it simply, VPNs can keep you safer when connected to networks that aren't your own, like public Wi-Fi.

Using a virtual bank account adds a level of protection against fraud risks. Learn how virtual banks can prevent fraud.

Phishing, Nigerian letter fraud, and ransomware are scamming tactics that have been used for years, but they’re capturing new victims through an ever-increasing degree of sophistication. This year, phishing – an attempt to get your sensitive information through seemingly trustworthy electronic communications – accounted for 90% of all data breaches, having grown by 65% in just 12 months.

No matter how many times people are told to never share their personal information, scammers still manage to find new ways to elicit prepaid, debit, and credit card numbers from unsuspecting consumers. It is also easy to assume that you would never fall for one of these scams, but you might be surprised, especially when you are dealing with sophisticated criminals who appeal to your sense of politeness and other social norms. Your best defense is to be aware of what scams are out there and know how to avoid them.

Credit and debit card scams can be painful and devastating. Let Netspend show you how to avoid these card scams today!