I always look forward to fall in Nebraska. Some people, like my wife, love fall because of cooler temperatures and changing leaves. Many of us love fall because of the return of football season. 

I’ve loved football since I was a young boy. It provides more than just entertainment; it can also be a welcome distraction from life’s daily challenges. 

One challenge that has increased significantly for our member banks is the tidal wave of consumer and customer fraud. Since joining the NBA over 10 years ago, I’ve noticed that fraud has consistently been a top concern for our members. I suspect we receive more member calls and outreach related to fraud than any other topic.

As our industry continues to evolve, driven by innovation and technology, it’s clear that our staff and strategies also need to evolve. To address this growing concern, I’ve compiled a list of fundamental “blocking and tackling” techniques for fraud prevention. While these ideas may not be new, they are crucial elements of a winning game plan:

1. Train and reinforce with all staff the importance of Nebraska’s bank transaction hold law. This law allows banks to stop or delay suspected fraudulent transactions against seniors and vulnerable adults for up to 30 days. Banks that actively implement transaction holds suggest they have less fraud than banks that do not.
2. Use marketing and social media to educate customers about fraud. Consider participating in the American Bankers Association’s #BanksNeverAskThat anti-phishing campaign. The ABA also recently launched a companion campaign, #PracticeSafeChecks, to raise awareness about check fraud. These campaigns include free brandable social media posts and videos. Both campaigns are open to all banks, regardless of ABA membership.
3. Develop promotions like hanging fraud prevention posters in your bank, creating a cute video (include kids and puppies if possible), hosting a free lunch for customers, presenting to local schools or organizations, or partnering with local enforcement on media outreach. 
4. Make sure your bank is signed up for the ABA’s recently launched Fraud Contact Directory. This online tool helps banks find the appropriate contact for claim resolutions, including warranty breach claims for checks, unauthorized or fraudulent transfers for wires, ACH, real-time payments and FedNow.
5. Regularly engage with your staff and IT partners to implement software patches, vulnerability tests and phishing simulations. 
6. Confirm that pens distributed by your bank to customers are gel pens that are more resistant to check washing. 
7. Encourage business customers to participate in positive pay. Several Nebraska banks now charge a fee to customers who do not use positive pay.
8. Remind customers of ways to take action to protect their mail, including using indoor drop-off locations, signing up for informed delivery at USPS.com and not leaving mail in their mailbox overnight. 
9. Consider joining the more than 50 Nebraska banks that are members of ECCHO, a division of The Clearing House, which offers a method for addressing losses associated with forged or counterfeit checks.
10. Collaborate with nearby banks and local law enforcement to share information. By working together, you can enhance your collective knowledge and resources, making it easier to identify trends and develop effective prevention strategies.

Your NBA is working with Gov. Jim Pillen and Attorney General Mike Hilgers to raise awareness about fraud prevention. The NBA legal team is also leading efforts with bank leaders, the Attorney General’s Office and law enforcement to review and modernize state statutes related to fraud and prosecution.

Let’s make tackling fraud prevention a team effort. 

Learn more about these fraud prevention techniques at nebankers.org/tackle-fraud-prevention.