Danske Bank has created a new specialist fraud and cyber crime team to help combat the rising threat to customers from fraudsters and criminal gangs.
The bank announced that the front-line fraud team will be made up of eight people and aims to focus on educating its customer base about the complexity of new types of fraud.
It will also be available to engage with customers that fall victim to such attacks or who think they may be being targeted.
The team, based in Northern Ireland, will be led by newly appointed Fraud & Cyber Crime Manager, Chris Wynne.
Vicki Hassan, Head of Transaction Banking at Danske Bank, said that the team brings together “expertise in card, ATM, cheque and payment fraud.”
She said: “Fraud and cybercrime are growing threats to our customers and our business. All banks are seeing a rise in attacks, with people tricked into revealing personal details or having their information stolen.
“Danske Bank has established this team because we believe it is essential for our customers to understand the risks and be able to talk directly to experts if they are targeted by a scam.”
Hassan commented further saying that most people lack an understanding of the severity and do not realise that the majority of fraudsters “aren’t sitting in their bedrooms in Northern Ireland.”
Danske Bank already attempts to educate its customers about common scams and gives advice on avoiding fraud and what to do if they feel they’ve been targeted by fraudsters through its ‘Keep it Safe’ campaign.
Chris Wynne commented: “Last year saw an increase in more sophisticated, but at the same time simple types of fraud. Criminals are targeting the weakest link of the fraud cycle, you and me.
“The new team will have a focus on being there for our customers when they need us and supporting our colleagues in their interactions with both personal and business customers.”
Wynne said that the new team will enable it to do more to reach customers with news about the latest tech support, malware and payment detail scams
He concluded: “Fraud isn’t something people talk about, but we need to talk about it more to raise awareness of the threats facing us all.”
