Customer-owned banks are getting behind 2025 Scams Awareness Week (SAW) and will be supporting customers and communities better safeguard themselves against scams with this year’s ‘Stop. Check. Protect.’ theme.
“For customer-owned banks, protecting our customers’ financial wellbeing is our top priority. That’s why mutual banks and credit unions are actively working within our communities to make sure everyone has the information they need to stay safe this Scams Awareness Week and beyond,” COBA CEO Michael Lawrence said.
The National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC) recently introduced the ‘Stop. Check. Protect.’ call to action, as it provides a set of simple, memorable steps that anyone can take to spot and avoid scams. ‘Stop. Check. Protect’ is also the theme of this year’s SAW.
Customer-owned banks have a long-standing commitment to protecting and educating their customers, and many run local events to raise scams awareness in the communities they serve.
For example, The Mutual Bank, based in Maitland, NSW, is hosting a “Tea and Tips: Staying Safe from Scams” event this week at a local bowling club, where customers can get advice directly from their CEO, and a panel of experts.
Bank Orange, based in Orange, NSW, is holding a Stay Safe forum next month at a local bistro hotel, where they will educate the public about how to spot and avoid the latest scams.
Similarly, BankWAW, which serves regional and rural communities on the border of Victoria and New South Wales, has been running in-person scams awareness events since 2022, often in partnership with local community groups.
The ‘Stop. Check. Protect.’ message urges all Australians to:
- Stop: Don’t give money or personal information to anyone if you’re unsure.
- Check: Ask yourself if the message or call could be fake.
- Protect: Act quickly if something feels wrong.
Report scams to Scamwatch to help protect others.
Customer-owned banks joined forces with the Australian Banking Association in 2023 to launch the Scam-Safe Accord, an industry-wide approach to protecting Australians from scams. To find out more about the Scam-Safe Accord, head here.
ENDS
For further information or to arrange interviews, please contact media@coba.asn.au