Business

Chase Bank Manager’s Advice for Avoiding Scams and Fraud

To spot fraud, it’s important to learn more about the most widespread scams, how to prevent them and what to do if you think you may be a victim. We sat down with Myesha Brown, local community manager from the Chase branch on 3005 Broadway, to help you become more aware of the most common scams out there and what steps you can take so that you can protect your information and keep your hard-earned money safe.

Published

4 years ago

March 29, 2022

Oakland Post

While new scams are always popping up, there are several common approaches that keep resurfacing year after year.

Chances are you know someone who has been a victim of fraud or scams. As a result of the pandemic, fraudsters are finding new ways to find new victims. The good news is that there are simple ways for consumers to stay safe and fight back.

Scammers are always coming up with new ways to get you to part with your money. In a recent Chase survey of 2,000 consumers, 84% of survey respondents agreed that scams and scammers have become more sophisticated in recent years.

To spot fraud, it’s important to learn more about the most widespread scams, how to prevent them and what to do if you think you may be a victim.

We sat down with Myesha Brown, local community manager from the Chase branch on 3005 Broadway, to help you become more aware of the most common scams out there and what steps you can take so that you can protect your information and keep your hard-earned money safe.

Oakland Post: How common are fraud and scams?

Brown: Fraud cases are unfortunately becoming more prevalent, and more sophisticated. In fact, the FTC revealed that 3.5 million people reported being a victim of fraud or identity theft in 2020, an increase of more than 1.5 million from the previous year. For Black communities, the problem is even worse with nearly half (40%) of Black adults being targeted by online scams and fraud, according to AARP.

Oakland Post: What kind of scams exist that we should be aware of and know how to stop them?

While new scams are always popping up, there are several common approaches that keep resurfacing year after year.

Some of the more common scams we’ve encountered and helped our customers fight against may not always seem so obvious at first if you’ve been targeted.

What shocks many of our customers is how far scam artists are willing to impersonate familiar faces, whether that be close relatives or community officials, and also be able to trick you so easily by using your own smart phone against you. So next time you receive a text message or email on your phone, think twice before you engage.

Here is what I mean:

Fake bank fraud specialist

What they look like: Consumers receive a fraud alert via text message that appears to come from their bank. The message asks them to validate whether they made a certain purchase or sent a certain amount of money. After saying “no,” the recipient gets a call from someone claiming to be from their bank’s fraud team. The phone number may even appear to be a real phone number from your bank.

They’ll ask for the customer’s banking username, password or a one-time passcode. Alternatively, they’ll sometimes ask the customer to send money to themselves or a third party to “stop” the fraud or to get their money back. Once the scammer has gained access to a person’s account or convinced them to send money, they usually stop contact and the victim’s money is gone.

How to stop them: Unfortunately, scammers target consumers from many banks and they are very good at disguising themselves by “spoofing” or making their phone number appear legitimate. Consumers should never share their banking password, one-time passcode, ATM pin or send money to someone who says that doing so will prevent fraud on their account. Bank employees won’t call, text or email consumers asking for this, but crooks will. If you receive a call like this, hang up and call the phone number on your account statement, the back of your credit or debit card or bank website to verify the authenticity of the request.

Imposter scams

What they look like: Someone will call or email you claiming to be from an organization you trust, like the Internal Revenue Service. They may threaten you by saying that if you don’t pay taxes or fees owed, they’ll bring a lawsuit against you.

How to stop them: If you think there’s truly a possibility that you owe money, don’t pay it to someone who initiates a call or email to you. Instead, hang up and call the organization in question directly.

Grandparent scams

What they look like: You’ll get an email from a grandchild (or other relative) saying that they’re in trouble and need money fast.

How to stop them: Call your relative directly. If you can’t reach them, contact another relative who knows them and may know their whereabouts and circumstances. Whatever you do, don’t send money, purchase gift cards, or share any of your personal information, including your banking username and password. Scammers use threats and try to create a sense of urgency to trick you. Always trust your gut and end communication when something seems off.

Oakland Post: What should you do to stop scam artists?

Brown: There are steps you can take to protect yourself.

And while we’ve given this advice before in this newspaper, it is worth every cent to repeat in these pages. Here’s what we recommend you do and don’t:

DO:

Educate yourself on the most common scams. Fraudsters will use anything to their advantage — claiming to be from the IRS, pretending to offer tech support, baiting you with prizes or cash winnings — the sky’s the limit!
Monitor credit score for free with Chase Credit Journey — you don’t even need to be a Chase customer to sign up! It will notify you if your data is compromised. Plus, you’ll receive critical alerts that help protect your credit and identity.
Review your accounts closely if you believe you may have fallen for a scam. With Chase, you can also set up account alerts so you can be notified of transactions on your account.

DON’T:

Click on suspicious links on emails or texts unless you’re sure it’s from a credible source. Only access your accounts through the bank’s mobile app or their website.
Share personal information. Neither Chase nor any other bank will ever ask for your username, password, ATM pin, etc. when reaching out to you. Banks may ask for this information only when you call to discuss your account.
Transfer money to someone claiming to be from your bank. Banks will never ask to send money via wire, check or other method to “stop or prevent fraud.”
Pay someone using gift cards, especially when they claim to need them to remove a virus from your computer, stop fraud on your account or to buy plane tickets to come visit you.

Oakland Post: What more can you do to protect yourself from fraud and scams?

Brown: One of the most effective things you can do to prevent fraud is to regularly monitor your bank and credit card accounts so that you can be on the lookout for signs of unusual activity.

Your bank’s mobile app can give you easy access to self-service — tools that let you track your finances 24/7. If you spot something suspicious, immediately report any concerning activity to your bank.

Many banks, including Chase, also let you set up account alerts to help you detect unusual transactions to your bank or credit card by sending automatic notifications.

If you’re not sure if your bank or financial institution already offers these tools or services, be sure to ask.

If you believe that you may have been a victim of fraud or scams, there’s no need to feel embarrassed or ashamed. It can happen to anyone. What’s most important is to take immediate action.

Sponsored content from JPMorgan Chase & Co

To learn more about common scams and how to stop scammers in their tracks visit: www.chase.com/security-tips. You can also learn tips to identify and avoid financial abuse by visiting: www.chase.com/financialabuse.

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Activism

At the event, 16 entities signed the EIP pledge, vowing to take steps to increase public contracting opportunities in their spheres for small and historically underutilized businesses. The pledge signees included Hub International, the Port of San Francisco, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, California High-Speed Rail Authority, the Port of Oakland, Robert Graham of Webcor Builders, Holder Construction, the Weitz Company, Sky Blue Builders, Hornblower, Swinerton, Luster National, Talson Solutions, Center for Community Wealth Building, and the Construction Contractors Alliance.

Published

3 days ago

June 24, 2026

Oakland Post

Toks Omishakin, secretary of the California State Transportation Agency, was one of the speakers at the event. Photo by Shellee Fisher Photography and Design.

By Calvin Naito, Special to The Post

On June 4, a national nonprofit named the Equity in Infrastructure Project (EIP) – which aims to increase public construction contracting opportunities for small and historically underutilized businesses – held a day-long event in downtown San Francisco to rally supporters and build momentum to its cause.

It was attended by more than 100 individuals from public agencies, private firms, and other organizations committed to increasing contracting opportunities with governmental agencies, thereby creating more competition and lowering public costs.

The EIP event was held the Hyatt Regency San Francisco in conjunction with BuildIT, which aims to increase contracting opportunities for LGBT-owned businesses.

At the event, 16 entities signed the EIP pledge, vowing to take steps to increase public contracting opportunities in their spheres for small and historically underutilized businesses.

The pledge signees included Hub International, the Port of San Francisco, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, California High-Speed Rail Authority, the Port of Oakland, Robert Graham of Webcor Builders, Holder Construction, the Weitz Company, Sky Blue Builders, Hornblower, Swinerton, Luster National, Talson Solutions, Center for Community Wealth Building, and the Construction Contractors Alliance.

Following the workshop, BuildIT hosted a VIP evening reception honoring EIP, whose principals – Phil Washington, John Procari, and Rick Jacobs – accepted the award.

The event also set in motion the coalition’s efforts to implement recommendations from EIP’s “Procurement for Prosperity: A Playbook.”

The Playbook is a practical guide for public agency leaders and procurement and contracting practitioners to grow the capacity of small and first-time contractors, strengthen competition, and deliver better value for taxpayers.

Toks Omishakin, Secretary of the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), a long-time EIP supporter, also told attendees, “This is about commitment. This has been a life’s work. This is a tailwind moment.”

The event’s presenting sponsor was Hub International, one of the largest insurance brokerages in the nation, which was joined by partners Travelers Insurance and the State Compensation Insurance Fund.

After the pledge-signing ceremony, attendees participated in a workshop in which they examined the policies, practices, and programs needed to meet EIP goals, learned from practitioners, and identified next steps toward utilizing the Playbook.

Ingrid Meriwether, formerly of Merriwether & Williams Insurance Services (MWIS) and current president of Hub International’s Aligned Risk Management, MWIS, described the hard-fought lessons she and her MWIS team have learned over the last three decades administering contractor development programs (CDPs) for the City and County of San Francisco, Alameda County, City of Los Angeles, LA Metro, and other municipalities.

The CDPs help small and local construction firms win public infrastructure contracts with these government agencies. The program provides bonding assistance, contract financing, technical support, training, and other services to underrepresented businesses funded by public agencies who seek greater contracting participation with these firms.

Merriwether said programs like these “break down systemic barriers, create greater fairness, and save taxpayers money by enabling more competition. The contractor development programs have, cumulatively, over two decades, helped contractors access over $1 billion in bonding, supporting over $380 million in awarded contracts, and maintaining a loss ratio 250 times lower than the industry average – while saving participating municipalities more than $27 million in contracting costs as a result of enabling more competition.”

Rick Jacobs, EIP co-founder and co-chair urged attendees make plans to meet again in the near future “to continue building on this work, share progress on organizational commitments, and discuss how we can collectively advance the goals of the EIP pledge.”

For more information on the EIP and to access a copy of the Playbook, go online to https://equityininfrastructure.org/

Calvin Naito is communications manager for Equity in Infrastructure Project.

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Activism

Oakland Museum Presents Landmark Retrospective Celebrating Beloved Bay Area Artist Mildred Howard

“Poetics of Memory” coincides with a year of major recognition for Howard. In 2026, she received the California Arts Council’s 50th Anniversary Award, honoring artists whose work has shaped California’s cultural and civic life, as well as the Museum of the African Diaspora’s Artist Impact Award. In 2025, she was awarded a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship in recognition of her transformative contributions to American cultural life.

Published

3 days ago

June 24, 2026

Oakland Post

Mildred Howard. Photo by Christine Cueto for the Oakland Museum of California, 2025.

Special to The Post

The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) opened “Mildred Howard: Poetics of Memory,” the first major museum survey of Bay Area artist Mildred Howard, on June 12.

The exhibition spans five decades of Howard’s influential work, bringing together immersive installations, found-object sculptures, archival materials, and new commissions that explore memory, identity, and power in American life.

Howard was born in San Francisco in 1945 and raised in the East Bay, where she went on to study Afro-Haitian dance, make and sell clothing, and experiment with collage and sculpture.

Her multimedia art practice emerged from these experiences, later becoming associated with West Coast conceptual art, San Francisco funk, and a vibrant community of artists like Oliver Jackson, Betye Saar, and Raymond Saunders. Since the 1970s, she has used found materials and family stories to explore memory—both individual and collective.

At OMCA, visitors enter “Poetics of Memory” through a series of intimate galleries featuring Howard’s early mixed-media pieces and sculptures, along with a large video projection of a number of her public artworks.

Together, they emphasize Howard’s interest in everyday objects as powerful carriers of individual and shared stories. Highlights include collages that remix images of the artist herself; found-object sculptures like The History of the United States with a few Parts Missing (2007) that address omissions in dominant narratives; and public works like “Locks and Keys for Harry Bridges” (2001) that transform urban space into a meditation on access and labor.

This culminates in a richly detailed “studio” environment, where works in progress, archival exhibition flyers, historic photographs of Howard and her community, postcards from fellow artists, and other materials offer insight into her creative process and daily life.

The exhibition then opens into a high-ceilinged, dramatically lit space that brings together Howard’s signature immersive installations. On one end, “Crossings” (1997/2026) – a field of hundreds of ceramic eggs leading to an ornate mirror – suggests cycles of birth, motherhood, and transition, while drawing on the emotional echoes of the Middle Passage. On the other end, “Blackbird in a Red Sky” (a.k.a. “Fall of the Blood House”) (2002) – a red glass shack bordered by a pond – also uses reflection and transparency to draw viewers into the work and prompt consideration of themes of identity and home.

Howard’s newest video installation, “Moving Stills” (2026), repurposes never-before-seen family footage she took as a teenager on a train trip to the American South. Projected onto cascading layers of translucent fabric that stretch across an entire gallery wall, the piece immerses viewers in a layered meditation on memory, migration, and time.

The “Mildred Howard: Poetics of Memory” exhibit will be on display through Oct. 11 at the Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St., Oakland, CA 94612. Museum hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours on Fridays to 9 p.m.

This story is sourced from the Oakland Museum of California press office.

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Alameda County

Ferry Fares to Increase July 1 as Ridership Hits Record Highs

The Oakland and Alameda routes will increase from $4.90 to $5.10, the South San Francisco route will go up from $7.40 to $7.60, and the Vallejo route will increase from $9.90 to $10.

Published

3 days ago

June 24, 2026

Oakland Post

Courtesy photo.

By Mike Aldax, The Richmond Standard

Starting July 1, the standard adult fare for the San Francisco Bay Ferry route between Richmond and San Francisco will increase to $5.20, up from the current $4.90.

Discounted fares for eligible passengers, including youth, seniors, people with disabilities, and Clipper START users, will rise to $2.60 from the current $2.40. Children under 5 will continue to ride for free.

The Oakland and Alameda routes will increase from $4.90 to $5.10, the South San Francisco route will go up from $7.40 to $7.60, and the Vallejo route will increase from $9.90 to $10.

The adjustments are part of a systemwide fare update approved by the agency’s Board of Directors, which is moving away from a flat 3% annual increase to route-specific pricing for the 2027 and 2028 fiscal years.

This fare update arrives as San Francisco Bay Ferry celebrates a historic May, transporting 301,270 passengers. The record-breaking figure represents an 8% increase over May 2025 and marks the third consecutive month of record-setting ridership.

Furthermore, it is the sixth month in a row that passenger numbers have exceeded pre-pandemic levels. Weekend travel has been a primary driver of this growth, with average weekend ridership seeing a 56% increase compared to pre-pandemic trends.

The agency states that the fare adjustments are necessary to ensure the long-term fiscal sustainability of public ferry services. By shifting to route-specific adjustments, the agency aims to offset rising operating costs while maintaining the high levels of service frequency and reliability.