BRATTLEBORO — Recently, there was an attempt to steal money from members of the Brattleboro area community in the form of a text message sent to cell phones with local prefixes.
Although this message stated that it was from Brattleboro Savings & Loan, the scammers had simply picked our name to use and sent out a blanket message to cell numbers regardless of whether or not we are your bank.
There was no breach of information, and we've been working with the - thankfully few - victims of this crime to reimburse them for their losses.
Largely, this attack was a failure. It was a failure because we were informed early that it was happening and were able to respond quickly.
It was a failure because we have put mechanisms in place to protect our customers.
But, most importantly, it was a failure because this community - our customers and non-customers alike - came together to inform their friends and neighbors that the text message was not legitimate and was to be disregarded.
That right there, that moment, when people came together and took care of one another, is why we are so proud and humbled to be a part of this community.
This was a small incident and undoubtedly will be forgotten soon enough, but as with other, more significant challenges this area has had to deal with in recent years, the way in which people responded to this event continues to demonstrate what community means.
We love this area and all of you people who make it so wonderful. Thank you, Brattleboro, for being who you are: caring, decent, and considerate.
With deepest appreciation,