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GRBblog
Welcome to the GRBblog! Get to know GRB, Rochester's only locally owned and managed commercial bank. A commercial bank, but also a community bank, with an entrepreneurial spirit about everything we do. We're committed to Growing Rochester Business and making our community a better place to live and work.
The GRBblog is where we post bank news and information, stories about the great organizations we support, and share relevant local and national business news.
Consumer Alert: Scam Using the NYS Department of Financial Services’ Name
The Department of Financial Services (DFS) has been notified of a scam in which a fraudster calls a consumer regarding a bank or credit union “case” being “prosecuted” by DFS against the consumer. The fraudster identifies himself as either being from DFS or the Inspector General’s Office, and requests personal information from the consumer.
These calls are fraudulent. DFS is not making these calls to consumers. DFS is also not asking other agencies to make these calls to consumers. DFS does not prosecute court cases against consumers and does not represent banks or credit unions. If you receive a call of the type described in this Alert, do not provide any personal information to the caller. This is a scam. The fraudster is attempting to obtain your personal information to gain access to your money or for other fraudulent purposes.
DFS accepts complaints about scams involving a financial product or service. To file a complaint, visit their website at www.dfs.ny.gov, or contact their Consumer Hotline at (800) 342-3736.
GRB Participating in University of Rochester Benefits Program Encouraging City Home Ownership
We are pleased to announce that GRB will begin offering funding to University of Rochester employees who are eligible for the University Home Ownership Incentive Program, a benefits program aimed at encouraging regular full-time and part-time faculty and staff members to purchase a primary residence in the city neighborhoods closest to the university’s River Campus and Medical Center.
The University Home Ownership Incentive Program offers eligible buyers $3,000 each from the University of Rochester, the City of Rochester and a participating bank or credit union, for a total of $9,000 in incentives for purchasing a home in sectors 4 and 6, encompassing primarily the 19th Ward and Plymouth-Exchange on the west side and Highland Park and the South Wedge on the east side. GRB funds may be used toward closing costs or interest rate buy-down. More than 350 homes have been purchased through the University Home Ownership Incentive Program since it was launched in 2008.
“Our mission has always been to help grow Rochester, and this program offers an opportunity to help fulfill that with our partners at the University of Rochester and the City of Rochester,” said Phil Pecora, president and CEO of GRB. “Home ownership provides an important foundation for our community and we are pleased to be involved in a program that helps develop stronger roots in these historic city neighborhoods.
“I’m extremely pleased that the University Home Ownership Incentive Program is growing with the addition of Genesee Regional Bank,” said Holly Crawford, University senior vice president for administration and finance and CFO. “Since the program’s founding in 2008, more than $1 million in financial incentives have helped University of Rochester regular full-time and part-time faculty and staff achieve the dream of homeownership in our nearby historic 19th Ward and South Wedge city neighborhoods, with more than 350 mortgages supported.”
GRB President and CEO Phil Pecora and CFO Gary Schwingel were featured in the Rochester Business Journal’s Jan. 15 issue. As part of the Rochester Top 100 profile, the article notes GRB’s steady growth and focus on building Rochester business, as well as discussing our success with the recent move into residential mortgage lending. Thank you to all our clients and employees!
