October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Savers Bank once again joined the American Bankers Association along with banks across the nation to promote an industry-wide campaign educating consumers about the persistent threat of phishing scams. The FTC estimates that consumers lost $8.8 billion to phishing and other fraud in 2022, an increase of more than 65% compared to 2021. To combat phishing, the award winning #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.

“By impersonating a bank, a scammer can steal thousands of dollars with just one text message, phone call or email,” said Paul Benda, senior vice president, operational risk and cybersecurity at ABA. “With the strong support of participating banks like Savers Bank, the #BanksNeverAskThat campaign seeks to turn the tables by arming consumers with the information they need to outsmart the scammers and protect their money.”

Savers Bank, along with banks from across the U.S., will join forces with ABA to kick off this year’s updated campaign on Oct. 2 to mark the beginning of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Throughout the month Savers Bank will share consumer tips on social media and in bank branches designed to highlight common phishing schemes. Because cybersecurity education and fraud awareness can often be dull and forgettable to many consumers, the #BanksNeverAskThat campaign is designed to be bright and bold with a bit of comedy.

“Would you rather give up sugar or salt?,” one of the campaign’s social media posts asks users. “Banks texting you about sweet vs savory would be just as weird as banks texting you a link to login, ‘cause #BanksNeverAskThat.”

The campaign’s short videos offer similarly ridiculous scenarios like wallpapering a room with cash, roasting marshmallows over a cash fire and recycling cash on garbage day to remind people they stand to lose real money if they aren't vigilant. Consumers are directed to BanksNeverAskThat.com where they will find a new interactive quiz, the "Scam City" video game, engaging videos, and tips on how to spot phishing scams. This year, the campaign is also offering a Spanish language version of the website, BancosNuncaPidenEso.com, and providing a host of other #BanksNeverAskThat consumer resources in Spanish.

For more information about phishing scams and how to stop fraudsters in their tracks, visit www.BanksNeverAskThat.com.

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