ARTICLE
America’s banks join forces in coordinated, industry-wide campaign to protect consumers during National Cybersecurity Awareness Month Artisans’ Bank cares about your security. That’s why they joined the ABA to promote an industry-wide campaign educating consumers about the persistent threat of phishing scams. The FTC estimates that consumers lost $3.3 billion to phishing schemes and other fraud in 2020, nearly double the losses in 2019. To combat phishing, the #BanksNeverAskThat campaign uses attention-grabbing humor and other engaging content to empower consumers to identify bogus bank communications asking for sensitive information like their passwords and social security numbers. “Phishing attempts have become even more prevalent during the pandemic making it more important than ever that consumers learn how to spot a scam,” said Paul Benda, senior vice president, operational risk and cybersecurity at ABA. “With help from participating banks like Artisans’ Bank, we’re teaching consumers how to spot phishing red flags so they can stay one step ahead of the scammers.” Artisans’ Bank, along with banks across the country and ABA, are kicking off the campaign on Oct. 1 to mark the beginning of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Throughout the month, Artisans’ will have information in their branches and be sharing tips on social media to help consumers spot phishing schemes. Because cybersecurity education and fraud awareness can often be dull and forgettable to many consumers, the campaign is designed to be bright and bold with a bit of comedy. “Chicago Deep Dish or New York Style?” one of the campaign’s posts asks social media users. Or do you prefer “Dogs or Cats?” . Other posts highlight calls or emails asking for your PIN or Social Security number—your bank will never ask those questions either. The posts link to the ABA website, www.BanksNeverAskThat.com, with more information about cyber security. There is even a quiz you can take to test your skills at identifying scams.