Since October is widely recognised as cybersecurity awareness month, Bank of Valletta took to social media to continue raising awareness of the different types of scams currently in circulation.

The BOV Spot the Scam Quiz was an innovative way for the bank to engage with customers, helping the general public increase their knowledge of how to navigate the cyber world in a secure and safe manner. Over 1,600 individuals participated of over two weeks, with questions covering a broad spectrum of topics including scam phone calls, scam SMS alerts, fake websites, fraudulent requests for confidential information, and much more. The winners of the BOV Spot the Scam Quiz were Julian Cassar, Mandy Farrugia, and Justin Vella, who met the bank’s Creative Hub team at the BOV Centre in Santa Venera to collect their prizes.

As the incidence of scams and hacking attempts increases, BOV continues to play an important role in arming the general public to protect themselves against the activities of fraudsters, and helping potential victims understand why it is so important to take care of their personal information. 

In a statement, BOV urged the public to be vigilant and cautious at all times and reminded customers that BOV employees will never ask for account or card numbers in full, card CVV details (the three digits at the back of the card), card PINS, internet or mobile banking passwords, codes, signatures, one-time passwords, or multi-factor authentication. Bank employees will never ask customers for information that leads them to carry out financial transactions over the phone. It is important not to give out sensitive information over the phone, or through any links received via SMS.

Keeping updated and learning as much as possible about these fraudulent activities is the first step. Bank of Valletta invites the public to view a series of short clips featuring common day-to-day situations that they can find themselves in. These clips are shared on the bank’s YouTube channel and are also available on the bank’s official website.