Bank of the Sierra Joins ABA and Banks Across U.S. in Industry-Wide Campaign to Protect Consumers from Fraud and Scams

October 02, 2026

This year’s #BanksNeverAskThat Campaign highlights the critical role bank employees play in the fight against fraud.

Porterville, Calif. – Today Bank of the Sierra joined the American Bankers Association and banks across the nation participating in the 2026 #BanksNeverAskThat campaign, an industry-wide effort to educate consumers about the persistent and growing scam threat. Nearly three in four Americans have experienced a scam or fraud attempt, according to a 2026 House Financial Services Committee report on financial fraud and scams.

Those schemes are taking an enormous financial toll. A 2026 Gallup survey found that scams resulted in an estimated $68 billion in losses.

To combat this fraud, the award-winning #BanksNeverAskThat campaign uses attention-grabbing humor and engaging content to help consumers spot red flags and remind them that banks will never ask for sensitive information including PINs, passwords, or Social Security numbers.

“Protecting our customers and communities from fraud remains a top priority. Cybercriminals are using new technologies to create increasingly convincing scams,” said Natalia Coen, Chief Risk Officer at Bank of the Sierra. “Through the ABA’s #BanksNeverAskThat campaign, we are helping educate consumers about the warning signs of fraud and empowering them to take simple steps to safeguard their finances and personal information.”

“Scammers are constantly adapting their tactics, but many fraud attempts continue to start with the same warning signs,” said Paul Benda, Executive Vice President, Risk, Fraud, and Cybersecurity at ABA. “Unexpected contact, urgent demands, pressure to move money, and instructions to keep the situation secret are all red flags that should give consumers pause. When people know what to look for, they can often stop scams before they start. Raising awareness of those warning signs is one of the most effective ways banks like Bank of the Sierra can help consumers protect themselves from fraud.”

Bank of the Sierra, along with banks from across the U.S., will join forces with ABA to kick off this year’s updated campaign on Oct. 1 to mark the beginning of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Throughout the month Bank of the Sierra will share consumer tips and eye-catching content on social media and in select branches designed to educate consumers on how to spot current fraud threats.

This year’s campaign highlights the critical role frontline bank employees play in detecting fraud and protecting consumers. ABA will feature profiles of real-life banker Scam Slayers at BanksNeverAskThat.com. The campaign also challenges consumers to become Scam Slayers by recognizing scam warning signs and taking action before fraudsters succeed. Whether it’s deleting an unexpected attachment or hanging up on calls demanding secrecy or urgent action, the campaign demonstrates how everyday Scam Slayers can stop fraudsters in their tracks.

BanksNeverAskThat.com serves as the campaign’s central resource hub, offering consumers and banks a wide range of tools to help spot scams and stop fraud, including short videos, social media content, scam prevention tips, and an interactive quiz that helps users discover what kind of Scam Slayer they are. Spanish-language resources are also available at BancosNuncaPidenEso.com.

For more information about scams and how to protect yourself and your money, visit BanksNeverAskThat.com.

About Bank of the Sierra
Bank of the Sierra is in its 45th year of operations and is the largest independent bank headquartered in the South San Joaquin Valley. Bank of the Sierra is a community-centric regional bank, which offers a full range of retail and commercial banking services with full-service branches located within the counties of Tulare, Kern, Kings, Fresno, Ventura, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. The bank also maintains two loan production offices and an online branch and provides specialized lending services through an agricultural credit center. Bank of the Sierra is recognized as one of the strongest community banks in the country with a 5-star rating from Bauer Financial.