Banks launch new campaign to combat increasingly convincing scam impersonations

The American Bankers Association has launched a new ‘Scam Slayer’ initiative, urging consumers to stay cautious amid rising sophistication of bank impersonation scams via texts, calls and emails.

Scams are becoming harder to spot as criminals increasingly impersonate banks through texts, calls and emails, and the American Bankers Association is again urging consumers to slow down before sharing any personal information. In relaunching its #BanksNeverAskThat campaign, the ABA has added a new “Scam Slayer” push that highlights common warning signs, including unsolicited contact, pressure to act immediately, requests for secrecy and attempts to obtain account numbers, passwords or PINs. The core message is simple: verify any suspicious request through a trusted channel, not the number or link provided in the message itself.

That advice mirrors the guidance First Keystone Community Bank is giving customers as part of the same industry-wide effort. The bank says customers should assume a message is suspicious if it claims there is a problem with an account, says a debit card has been locked or pushes for urgent action. Instead of replying on the spot, the bank recommends contacting it directly through a trusted phone number and confirming whether the message is genuine.

Text messages are a particular concern because they can look convincing enough to trick even careful customers. The ABA says scam texts often imitate routine account alerts and direct recipients to fake websites designed to capture sensitive information. Banks participating in the campaign, including Alliance Bank, Arrow Bank, Old National Bank, Jewett City Savings Bank and Fleetwood Bank, have all stressed that legitimate banks do not ask for passwords, PINs or other confidential details through unsolicited messages. Their advice is consistent: do not click unfamiliar links, do not open unexpected attachments and delete suspicious messages.

Checks remain another weak point that criminals can exploit, according to First Keystone and other banks involved in the campaign. Protecting blank cheques, keeping track of what has been written and reviewing account activity regularly can help customers spot fraud quickly. If something feels wrong, the safest move is to pause, verify independently and report suspicious activity without delay. The wider message from the ABA and its banking partners is that fraudsters rely on urgency, while consumers are better protected by a moment of caution.