AS the school year gets under way, Bendigo Bank has expanded its Banking Safely Online program to secondary schools, to help empower young digital citizens. Tailored to high school students, the face-to-face sessions cover how to identify and avoid scams, spot financial fraud risks, and adopt secure practices for online banking transactions. The 30-minute Banking Safely Online in Schools classes can be delivered by teams from Bendigo Bank’s 400-plus branches, including Wangaratta. Teachers, administrators, parents and students at secondary schools are encouraged to reach out to their local Bendigo Bank branch to check availability for a Banking Safely Online session to be run for their school. These sessions can be conducted at the school, or an appropriate venue nearby, and are delivered by Bendigo Bank branch representatives. The sessions are available at all branches and can be organised subject to availability. Aaron Westberry, senior manager customer protection at Bendigo Bank, said secondary students faced a flood of would-be scammers, fraud attempts and other potentially serious challenges online. "While (they are) highly tech-savvy, more than $2 million has been lost to scammers by Australians under 18 since 2020, data from Scamwatch shows, and our younger customers have been asking how we can help," he said. Online shopping and classifieds scams caused the highest financial losses for those aged under 18 last year, with social media, text message and emails the top contact methods used by scammers, according to Scamwatch. The bank's national, face-to-face education approach has already helped thousands of customers safely navigate digital banking since the program was launched in 2023. "Bringing this to schools across Australia will help empower young digital citizens," Mr Westberry said. He said it was vital to beware of scammers using increasingly sophisticated tactics, and particularly capitalising on the back-to-school rush. "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," he said. "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 – it could be a remote access scam." Stopping scammers in their tracks: Tips for school students * Check whether the website is real, and that the caller or texter really is who they say they are. * Don't skip the 'enable multi-factor authentication' step, your best defence against increasingly sophisticated scammers. * Beware remote access scams, which often target young people. Never provide personal or log-in information via phone or text to unsolicited contacts. * Be very suspicious. Don’t click on any links in emails or texts that you are unsure about. * If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Time is of the essence. Report any suspicious activity to your bank immediately.
