The Nowra and District Community Bank's manager Jason Cox has seen first-hand the devastation that scammers can cause.
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After a report was released late last year, showing about 500,000 Australians had been scammed in some way or another, losing about $3 billion in 2022, the Nowra and District Community Bank is hosting an online banking safety education session.
Mr Cox said the session at 6pm on Wednesday, March 20, was being held in the CWA rooms in Berry Street, Nowra, to help people to protect themselves against the growing number of scams doing the rounds.
He said the number of people being scammed was on the rise when "it should be dropping with the amount of information about".
Some scams were increasingly sophisticated, he said, with criminal networks using artificial intelligence to duplicate the voices of loved ones.
"That's called vishing, which is the voice-based phishing," Mr Cox said.
Others had been around for years, from emails saying computers were infected to newer romance scams, online sales fraud, claims packages had not been delivered or toll payments were late, through to messages of problems with bank accounts.
"I've had all sorts coming in with different types of scams," Mr Cox said.
And while banks could help in some circumstances, the best bet was always to not buy into the stories scammers were spreading, he said.
"It doesn't matter the level of security, it's the buy-in to whatever the scheme or scam is that's the issue, and then they have you hooked," he said.
That's why the information session was being held to raise awareness, help people be as safe as possible while online, and prevent them ending up "in a world of hurt financially".
"It can be as little as $300, some sort of fake thing on Facebook marketplace, but then it will run into tens of thousands," Mr Cox said.
The banking safely online session is open to everyone.
Community Bank Nowra and District chair James Morris said the session would help make new and existing digital banking users more comfortable and confident.
"More than ever before, it is important with the everchanging banking environment we need to keep our community safe by giving them the most up to date information", he said.
Rotary and Lions Clubs, sporting associations, social and community groups can also contact their local Bendigo Bank branch and enquire about a banking safely online education session for their members.
