The industry-led initiative is supported by Bendigo Bank
The Australian Banking Association (ABA) has introduced a new campaign designed to raise awareness of scams and help protect customers – an initiative supported by Bendigo Bank.
With the tagline “hear the alarm bells,” the ABA campaign urged everyday Australians to be vigilant against scams by featuring important messages in its ads, including:
- Bank impersonation: “Banks will never call you and ask you to transfer money to another account.”
- E-Toll scams: “Never click on suspicious texts, links or emails.”
- Investment scams: “Always check you’re dealing with a legitimate organisation.”
- Invoice scams: “Never transfer money unless you’re certain it’s to the right person.”
The industry-led initiative comes as the cost of scams and fraud continues to rise. According to ACCC’s Scamwatch, it received reports of 256,842 scams worth $596 million in the 12 months to February 2023 – that’s an average of 21,404 scams a month, worth $49.6 million each month.
“As scams grow ever more complex and sophisticated, vigilance is required from all of us at all times,” said ABA CEO Anna Bligh (pictured above left). “This new national campaign has important messages to fight scams, reinforcing that we all need to stop and listen for alarm bells – if it doesn’t feel quite right, it might be a scam.
“Australians can take effective, preventative steps to help protect themselves against fraud and scams. This new campaign is one of a range of important initiatives banks are undertaking with the community, government and other industries all playing an important role to fight this crime.”
Bligh said the campaign, which will be published online and in newspapers, also highlights PayID as an important tool in preventing scams.
“PayID helps customers to know who they are paying, before they pay. There are now 14.7 million Australians registered for PayID,” she said.
Marnie Baker (pictured above right), CEO and managing director of Bendigo Bank and deputy chair of the ABA, said putting an end to the criminal activity was a “whole-of-ecosystem” challenge.
“Scams and fraud are an extremely important and challenging area, not just for banks, but for all of us,” Baker said. “Bendigo Bank takes fraud and scams very seriously and works closely with government agencies and our intelligence partners to detect malicious and abnormal behaviour. We work closely with our industry partners and platform providers so we can detect and neutralise threats early.
“Customers also play a vital role by remaining alert to suspicious messages and securing their personal information. Together, with your help, we can reduce the incidents of scams and fraud.”
Click here to learn more about the campaign.
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