As part of our ongoing commitment to protecting our customers and our community, we want to make you aware of ongoing fraud activity targeting businesses that received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.
Fraudsters are actively exploiting publicly available PPP loan data released by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The data made public by the SBA includes business names and addresses, loan amounts or ranges, funding dates, employee counts, forgiveness status, and the name of the originating financial institution, including Embassy Bank.
Unfortunately, scammers are using this information to make their impersonation attempts highly convincing.
How These Scams Typically Work
Fraudsters will contact PPP loan recipients by phone, email, or text message, often using spoofed phone numbers or emails that appear to come from Embassy Bank or a government agency.
They may claim to represent:
- Embassy Bank or our fraud/security department
- The SBA or U.S. Treasury
- Local or federal law enforcement
Common tactics include claims that they need to:
- “Verify” account details, wire transfers, or loan information
- Resolve issues related to PPP loan forgiveness
- Stop suspicious or unauthorized transactions
- Address alleged fraudulent PPP loans or even threatened legal action
Their goal is to pressure you into providing online banking credentials, passwords, one‑time security codes, or other sensitive information so they can access your accounts and initiate unauthorized transactions.
Embassy Bank will NEVER ask you for:
- Online banking usernames or passwords
- Full account access credentials
If you receive a call, email, or text that raises concern:
- Do not respond
- Do not click on any links
- Hang up immediately
We would much rather you hang up – even if you think the call might be from us – and contact Embassy Bank directly using a published phone number. When in doubt, call us back. Better safe than sorry.
We’re Here to Help
Our experienced bankers and fraud team are ready to assist. If you believe your business may be at risk, or if you are uncertain about any communication you’ve received, please contact us right away so we can help protect your accounts.
We also encourage you to share this information with your team and review our Business Fraud Prevention Checklist, which outlines common threats and best practices to help safeguard your business.
Thank you for your continued trust in Embassy Bank. Your security remains our highest priority.
