With the Federal Trade Commission estimating that American’s lost $1.48 billion to phishing scams in 2018, ABA Vice Chairman Scott Anderson, president and CEO of Zions Bank, urged consumers to be vigilant and protect themselves when browsing online.
“With more and more of our transactions and everyday activities being conducted online, the scams and swindles are increasing, becoming a real crisis,” Anderson wrote in an op-ed in the Deseret News today. “And the ubiquity and connectivity of the internet allows these cyber criminals to operate from anywhere in the world.” He noted that scammers are employing tactics to make messages appear legitimate, including masquerading as banks.
Anderson previewed a new effort by ABA to help raise awareness about phishing and ensure that consumers don’t fall prey to these schemes. The association’s national anti-phishing campaign, “#BanksNeverAskThat,” which launches Oct. 1, and is intended to help fight phishing fraud by turning bank customers into expert scam spotters.
Banks can register now to participate in the campaign and to receive a toolkit full of ready-to-use assets. Designed to be humorous, eye-catching and engaging, the kit includes videos, gifs, social posts, printables and more to help educate and protect bank customers. Participation in the campaign is free and available to all banks, regardless of ABA membership—and materials can be used as-is or branded with a participating bank’s logo.
