Today SouthEast Bank joined the American Bankers Association (ABA) and banks across the country to promote an industry-wide campaign educating consumers about the persistent and growing threat of scams. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) estimates that consumers lost $12.5 billion to scams in 2024, an increase of 25% compared to 2023. To combat these scams, 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.
“At SouthEast Bank, we believe that protecting our customers starts with empowering them through education,” said Joe Littleton, Chief Information Security Officer at SouthEast Bank. “Participating in the #BanksNeverAskThat campaign is one of the many ways we help our customers stay alert to potential scams and make informed decisions to safeguard their personal information. While this campaign offers a fun and memorable approach, it’s part of our broader, year-round commitment to keeping customers informed and secure.”
“As scams become increasingly sophisticated, it’s critical that individuals understand how to recognize and avoid deceptive tactics,” said Paul Benda, Senior Vice President, Operational Risk and Cybersecurity at ABA. “The #BanksNeverAskThat campaign is designed to do just that – empowering consumers with knowledge in a way that’s engaging and memorable. By joining the campaign, SouthEast Bank and financial institutions throughout the country are helping their customers stay one step ahead of scammers.”
SouthEast Bank, along with banks across the United States, and the ABA are kicking off this year’s updated campaign today to mark the beginning of Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Throughout the month, SouthEast Bank will share social media tips and timely blog content for safeguarding customer information and spotting common scams. 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.
This year’s campaign theme, “Snap Out of It!,” highlights that scammers often lure consumers into a false sense of trust and security – almost a spellbound state – while demanding urgent action. The campaign’s short videos show various scams in progress, but before the consumer can be defrauded, a bank employee calls attention to the red flags and encourages the victim to “snap out of it!” The trance is broken, and the scammers are stopped in their tracks.
In addition to videos, consumers can find an interactive quiz, the educational “Scam City” video game and tips on how to spot a scam at BanksNeverAskThat.com. A Spanish language version of the website, BancosNuncaPidenEso.com, provides a host of #BanksNeverAskThat resources in Spanish.
For more information about scams and how to stop fraudsters in their tracks, visit BanksNeverAskThat.com.
About SouthEast Bank
SouthEast Bank is a community bank headquartered in Farragut, Tennessee. With assets in excess of $3.3 billion, SouthEast Bank offers a full suite of loan and deposit products and services for families and businesses throughout Middle and East Tennessee, including its specialty consumer loan division, ELFI, which specializes in educational loan programs. SouthEast Bank is committed to the financial success of its customers, employees, and communities. Local decision-making and community involvement have been the driving successes of SouthEast Bank since its inception. Member FDIC.
For more information, visit southeastbank.com or call 1-844-732-2657.
Media Contact
Mary Seward
SouthEast Bank Marketing Manager
mseward@southeastbank.com
865-352-1262
