Banking Policy and Economic Research Intern

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. 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.

Bank Five Nine joins ABA and banks across U.S. in industry-wide campaign to protect consumers from fraud and scams. This year's #BanksNeverAskThat Campaign highlights the critical role bank employees play in the fight against fraud. Today, Bank Five Nine 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. "At Bank Five Nine, protecting our customers and communities is one of our most important responsibilities. While scammers continue to evolve their tactics, education remains one of the strongest tools consumers have to protect themselves. We're proud to join banks across the country in sharing resources, raising awareness, and helping people recognize the warning signs of fraud before it happens," said Tim Schneider, President & CEO, Bank Five Nine "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 Five Nine can help consumers protect themselves from fraud." Bank Five Nine, 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 Five Nine will share fraud prevention tips, educational resources, and scam awareness content across its social media channels, website, and branch locations to help consumers recognize common scam tactics and protect their personal and financial information. 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. October 1, 2026

ABA honors five banks with National Bank Marketing awards. AUSTIN, TEXAS - The American Bankers Association today recognized five banks for outstanding marketing initiatives during the 2026 ABA Bank Marketing Conference in Austin, Texas. The 2026 ABA Bank Marketing Excellence Awards honor innovative campaigns from banks of all sizes in five categories: Brand Awareness, Customer Adoption and Loyalty, Digital Acquisition, Employee Engagement and Product Launch. "The most effective marketing goes beyond promotion - it helps banks build meaningful, lasting relationships with their customers," said Russell Davis, ABA's chief member engagement officer. "This year's ABA Bank Marketing Excellence Award winners showcased innovative strategies that deepened community engagement, enhanced customer experiences and delivered measurable results." The ABA Bank Marketing Excellence Awards recognize strategic, thoughtful and dynamic marketing campaigns that help banks connect with customers, strengthen their brands and drive business growth. Eligible campaigns are evaluated by a panel of industry experts based on five key criteria: concept, strategy, creativity, execution and impact. The judges assess how effectively each campaign addresses a business challenge, engages its target audience, demonstrates originality, delivers measurable outcomes and achieves its objectives through both qualitative and quantitative results. The awards celebrate the innovative work banks are doing to elevate customer experiences, build trust and advance the banking industry through creative and results-driven marketing. The 2026 ABA Bank Marketing Excellence Award winners are: Brand Awareness Recognizes campaigns that increased awareness of a bank's brand and strengthened its presence among customers, prospects and communities. * S&T Bank, Indiana, Pa., S&T Bank Draft Headquarters: Owning a Defining Pittsburgh Moment * Other Finalists: * Centerville Bank, West Warwick, R.I.; * Origin Bank, Choudrant, La.; * Washington Trust Bank, Spokane, Wash.; and * American Savings Bank, Honolulu. As S&T Bank expanded its presence in western Pennsylvania, it sought a distinctive way to introduce its brand to new audiences during one of the region's most anticipated events: the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. Rather than relying on traditional sponsorship, the bank created S&T Bank Draft Headquarters, a three-day branded experience that combined community events, media partnerships, charitable giving and customer engagement activities. The campaign connected the excitement of football with the bank's commitment to the local community, positioning S&T at the center of a defining moment for the city while creating meaningful opportunities to engage customers, prospects and community leaders. Customer Adoption and Loyalty Recognizes campaigns that deepened customer relationships, increased engagement and encouraged greater use of bank products and services. * Citizens Bank, Westwood, Mass., Helping Customers Leap Forward in Mobile Banking * Other Finalists: * Wilson Bank & Trust, Lebanon, Tenn.; * Gulf Coast Bank & Trust, New Orleans; * Bank of Guam, Hagatna, Guam; and * Heartland Bank and Trust Company, Bloomington, Ill. Citizens Bank launched "Leapfrog," a customer-focused campaign designed to support the rollout of its redesigned mobile banking app. Recognizing that customers had varying levels of familiarity and comfort with digital banking, Citizens Bank developed tailored communications for active, inactive and dormant users. The campaign included personalized communications, educational content and an early-access program to help customers confidently adopt the redesigned app while strengthening engagement across customer segments. Digital Acquisition Recognizes campaigns that leveraged digital channels to attract, engage and acquire new customers. * Reading Cooperative Bank, Reading, Mass., Family Fortune Campaign * Other Finalists: * Gulf Coast Bank & Trust, New Orleans; * OMB Bank, Springfield, Mo.; * First Financial Bank, Cincinnati; and * North Easton Savings Bank, South Easton, Mass. Reading Cooperative Bank's Family Fortune campaign shifted the focus from banking products to the real-life moments that drive financial decisions. Built around the theme "Life Happens," the campaign highlighted common challenges such as managing unexpected expenses, building credit and growing a business, then connected those experiences to banking solutions. Through integrated digital storytelling and targeted outreach, the campaign created a more relatable customer experience. Employee Engagement Recognizes campaigns that informed, inspired and engaged employees while advancing organizational culture and business objectives. * Synergy Bank, Houma, La., Peace, Love & Synergy * Other Finalists: * First Service Bank, Greenbrier, Ark.; * Touchmark National Bank, Alpharetta, Ga.; * Horicon Bank, Horicon, Wis.; and * Cape & Coast Bank, Hyannis, Mass. Synergy Bank transformed Employee Appreciation Week into a 1960s-inspired celebration featuring themed events, custom branding and activities across its offices. Developed in-house, the campaign reinforced the bank's people-first culture while creating a shared experience that brought employees together. Product Launch Recognizes campaigns that successfully introduced new products or services and drove awareness, interest and adoption among target audiences. * Isabella Bank, Mount Pleasant, Mich., Isabella Bank Kids Club * Other Finalists: * MidFirst Bank, Oklahoma City; * Union Savings Bank, Danbury, Conn.; * Security Federal Bank, Aiken, S.C.; and * BankSouth, Greensboro, Ga. After more than a decade without a major refresh, Isabella Bank reimagined its Kids Club savings program with new mascots, financial education resources and community-focused activities. Built around the "Bee Smart from the Start" theme, the campaign transformed a traditional youth account into an engaging experience that helps children and families build lifelong saving habits while positioning the bank as a trusted partner for families. View these award winners. About the American Bankers Association The American Bankers Association is the voice of the nation's $26.5 trillion banking industry, which is composed of small, regional and large banks that together employ over 2 million people, safeguard $20.7 trillion in deposits and extend $13.9 trillion in loans. In depth. Press Contact Morgan Kumi (202) 663-7692 Useful Links