Bendigo Bank customers and members from different community groups have taken the Bank’s “Banking Safely Online” sessions.
Since its launch in September 2023, over a thousand participants have been trained on how to better navigate digital banking, and how to protect themselves online. Banking Safely Online sessions have been held across the country totalling 109 sessions, with 89 more sessions to come in the months ahead.
The program consists of face-to-face digital literacy education. The 30-minute classes highlight the benefits of being digital, while warning participants of the high likelihood of scams and fraud and teaching how to avoid these experiences to grow digitally capable and confident.
‘The popularity of these sessions proves just how important the hands-on approach is for many of our customers,’ says Head of Fraud Prevention at Bendigo Bank, Jason Gordon. ‘We all know about the growing prevalence of financial crime… Which is why we’ve seen so many people want to better educate themselves… We want all our customers to feel supported and safe online.’
Response from customers has been reported as overly positive, with participants leaving sessions claiming they feel more educated and saying they would recommend the Bank’s sessions to friends, family, and other community groups.
‘We know that one in four Australians are digitally excluded with older people, people with disability, low-income families and First Nations people at higher risk, not to mention those living in remote and regional areas,’ says General Manager of Digital Banking at the Bank, Nick Carter. ‘While these sessions help our customers to stay safe online, they also help build confidence using digital applications, helping us bridge the digital divide.’
In order to maximise cyber-safety, Benidgo Bank have employed a number of measures, including multi-factor authentication, blocking high risk cryptocurrency transactions, increasing the size of the fraud prevention and response team, removal of links in SMS messages from the Bank, a security team monitoring suspicious activity, and unusual account activity detection.
Bendigo Bank recommends following ScamWatch’s advice:
“STOP – Don’t give money or personal information to anyone if unsure
THINK – Ask yourself could the message or call be fake?
PROTECT – Act quickly if something feels wrong”
Lindfield & Districts Community Bank is running a Banking Safely Online session at 4.30pm Tuesday 26 March at the branch, 318 Pacific Highway Lindfield. The Banking Safely Online session is open to all community members; being a Bendigo Bank customer is not a prerequisite.
‘Ensuring our customers and community feel safe and confident when using digital banking is a priority for us,’ says Michele Ferris, Branch Operations Manager.
To attend or to discuss an exclusive session for a community organisation, contact on 94166337 or lindfield@bendigoadelaide.com.au
