With the holidays in full swing, the American Bankers Association and member banks across the country are stepping up efforts to educate consumers on the threat of scams and how to protect themselves this holiday shopping season. To make the lessons engaging and memorable, ABA’s free #BanksNeverAskThat campaign uses humor to educate consumers about phishing scams. The campaign is currently featuring new holiday-themed content.
“Empowering people to spot scams before it’s too late is the best way to protect consumers,” said ABA President and CEO Rob Nichols. “Through ABA’s #BanksNeverAskThat campaign and the ABA Foundation’s consumer education programs, banks of all sizes are arming Americans with the tools and information they need to turn the tables on the scammers and keep their money safe.”
Since the #BanksNeverAskThat campaign launched in October 2020, more than 2,400 banks of all sizes have participated, including the majority of the country’s largest banks. The campaign’s videos have had nearly 1.5 million views and there have been more than 700,000 visits to the consumer-facing website, BanksNeverAskThat.com.
In addition, the ABA Foundation offers consumer tips and educational materials through its free national programs, including Safe Banking for Seniors and Get Smart About Credit. This year, banks participating in the foundation’s programs reached nearly 900,000 consumers. The Safe Banking for Seniors program offers a collection of videos, handouts and social posts about identifying and avoiding scams. The Get Smart About Credit program has resources on “Protecting Your Financial Identity,” including “Understanding ID Fraud.” Bankers can access free lesson plans, social shares, videos and tip sheets by registering at aba.com/FinEd.
Consumers can find additional ABA Foundation resources in the “Protect Yourself and Your Money” section of aba.com, which features information on avoiding scams, like peer-to-peer payment scams and charity scams, and how to protect yourself online and protect your identity.
