Bank offers free Banking Safely Online classes to students

BENDIGO Bank will introduce its face-to-face Banking Safely Online program to secondary schools in an effort to help students identify and avoid scams, spot financial fraud risks and adopt secure practices while they are banking online.

It is believed that online shopping and classifieds scams were the cause of the highest financial losses for those aged under 18 last year, with social media, text message and emails the top methods used by internet criminals.

“Secondary school students face a flood of would-be scammers, fraud attempts and other potentially serious challenges online,” said Aaron Westberry, senior manager of customer protection at Bendigo Bank.

“While highly tech savvy, more than $2 million has been lost to scammers by Australians under 18 since 2020, and our younger customers have been asking how we can help.

“This is an exciting, busy time of year but it’s important to never let the guard down against scammers who will be trying their best to catch out unsuspecting students and their families.

“Be wary of back-to-school promotions on social media, especially those that sound too good to be true.

“Don’t click on links that you aren’t 100 per cent sure about, and beware calls and texts from people you don’t know who are requesting information.”

The 30-minute Banking Safely Online in Schools classes will be delivered by teams from Bendigo Bank’s more than 400 branches.

Teachers, administrators, parents and students are encouraged to enquire with their local branch to book a session for their school through the Bendigo Bank website.