This month, West Plains Bank and Trust Company joins the American Bankers Association (ABA) and banks across the nation to promote an industrywide campaign educating consumers about the persistent threat of phishing scams.
The Federal Trade Commission 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 social media 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.
“We’re excited to join ABA in the #BanksNeverAskThat Campaign to bring awareness on spotting phishing scams and how to stop fraudsters in their tracks,” said West Plains Bank and Trust Company President/CEO David M. Gohn. “A real bank would never ask their customers to verify personal information at random, such as their digital banking username, password, PIN and/or debit card number, and more. As online fraud continues to grow, this information is more prevalent than ever. We will be sharing links and resources on our social media throughout the month of October and readers will be directed to www.BanksNeverAskThat.com for tips on avoiding falling victim to these scams.”
“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 of operational risk and cybersecurity at ABA. “With the strong support of participating banks like West Plains Bank and Trust Company, the #BanksNeverAskThat campaign seeks to turn the tables by arming consumers with the information they need to outsmart the scammers and protect their money.”
West Plains Bank, along with banks from across the U.S., joined forces with ABA to kick off this year’s updated campaign on Oct. 2 to mark the beginning of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Through the month, the local financial institution will continue to share eye-catching consumer tips on social media and in its 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, officials explained.
For more information about phishing scams and how to stop fraudsters in their tracks, visit www.BanksNeverAskThat.com.
