Saudi banks have renewed their warnings to customers about financial fraud schemes carried out through various methods, launching the eighth edition of their “Don’t Spill the Beans” awareness campaign under the title "#—Don’t Give It Away," warning bank customers against disclosing their bank account information under any circumstances.

The campaign aims to raise awareness among all members of society in general, and bank customers in particular, about the best practices for using electronic banking channels, including bank cards, especially in light of the rise in financial fraud via text messages and emails that trick customers into believing they have won financial, cash, or in-kind prizes, and then ask them to provide their personal and banking information in order to receive the prizes.

Talaat Hafez, Secretary-General of the Media and Banking Awareness Committee at Saudi Banks, noted that the campaign focused on raising awareness about four very important messages, namely: unsolicited text messages and emails from unknown sources claiming that recipients have won prizes in kind or cash, advertisements and posters in which promoters claim to settle debts or finance projects, issued by financing entities—whether individuals or institutions—that are not licensed to practice the profession or conduct financing activities by the competent authority in this regard, which is exclusively the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA); requests to update bank details and personal information for bank accounts over the phone; and purchases made through suspicious and fake websites.