Premier Bank Joins National Anti-phishing Campaign

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Premier Bank has joined with the American Bankers Association and other banks across the nation during National Cybersecurity Awareness Month to promote #BanksNeverAskThat, an industry-wide campaign to educate consumers about phishing scams.

The Federal Trade Commission estimates $10 billion was lost to phishing and other fraud schemes in 2023, an increase of 13.6% from 2022. The campaign seeks to educate consumers by using attention-grabbing humor to help them identify scammers attempting to obtain information such as 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 for the American Bankers Association. “With the strong support of participating banks like Premier 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.”

The campaign includes videos and consumer tips on social media, which will be shared by Premier Bank, presented in a bright, humorous way to catch the attention of consumers and help them evade some of the most common scams.

“Education and awareness are key to helping our clients spot a scam,” said Tina Shaver, executive vice president, chief risk officer. “At Premier Bank, we prioritize investing in state-of-the-art systems, services and processes to help safeguard our clients’ personal and financial information. Through the #BanksNeverAskThat initiative, we can offer guidance to our clients on identifying and evading phishing scams, thereby empowering them to outsmart the scammers.”

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.