Member Matters - April 2024

Summer Speaker Series - BankVic goes "Behind the Bond"

Throughout February we took our people "Behind the Bond" via a month-long series of workshops/presentations by guest speakers from across our member organisations.

We heard inspiring stories, incredible examples of resilience and strides taken in research and innovation - as well as what a "typical day" looks like in the world of our members, with each story reminding us why we do what we do at BankVic.

Speakers included Bob Raaymakers APM, recently retired after serving 47 years with Victoria Police, and a Community Engagement Officer from Victorian Police Legacy; Senior Sergeant Kelly Christie and Constable Alison Gamble, recipients of the inaugural BankVic Australian Council for Women and Policing (ACWAP) Scholarship in 2023; the 2023 recipient of the Dame Elizabeth Murdoch Nursing Scholarship (DEMNDS), and Clinical Nurse Educator at Royal Children's Hospital, Kelly Light; and Olga and Chloe from the Victorian Ambulance Union (VAU).

A huge thank you to our speakers for the work you do every day, and for taking the time to share your stories with BankVic. We can't wait for the next round of the Speaker Series - we might not be able to wait until Summer!

International Women's Day 2024

The IWD 2024 theme was Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress – to examine pathways for greater economic inclusion for women and girls everywhere, and BankVic held a bumper week of events across the 4th-8th of March to celebrate this theme.

Dress for Success Clothing Drive - Give a woman a new start

To support this year’s IWD theme we encouraged our people to donate their pre-loved professional clothing, through the Dress for Success clothing drive.

Dress For Success offers a dressing and support service for women seeking work. Clients are provided with outfits and accessories for their interviews or new roles, to help rebuild their confidence and self-esteem.

IWD Event

To celebrate International Women’s Day 2024, we were delighted to be joined by guest speaker Carmel Arthur AOM for our annual event. Carmel is an experienced leader in Victoria’s justice system who has been a member of the Adult Parole Board, Director of the Sentencing Advisory Council, Founding Member of the Victorian Police Capability Team, and a Founding Board Member of the Victorian Post-Sentence Authority.

Carmel’s views have also been shaped by the murder of her husband Senior Constable Rodney Miller in 1998. Since that tragic event, Carmel has built extensive relationships and networks across the criminal justice system.

An afternoon full of engaging conversations, where Carmel shared her personal story, was followed by a Q&A with herself and Lucinda Nolan, BankVic Board Chair.

Taking place this year on Sunday 21 April at Albert Park Lake Palms Lawn, BankVic continues to be a proud principal sponsor of the Angela Taylor Memorial Walk and Run. This event has been run by Blue Ribbon Foundation since 1989 in honour of Constable Angela Taylor and all Victoria Police members that have died serving and protecting our community.

So get involved and bring your children and your dogs for a casual 5km stroll or compete for the Angela Taylor Memorial Shield in the 10km run! Join a Police, Emergency Services or Healthcare team or register with your friends and family.

In our 50th year, BankVic is aiming to bring our biggest team yet!

To register, please visit: remember.org.au/events/angela-taylor-memorial-walkrun/

Crime Stoppers Victoria Partners with BankVic to Launch Podcast Series: "Defending Your Online Investments"

Crime Stoppers Victoria and BankVic have joined forces to launch a new podcast, 'Defending Your
Online Investments'. This podcast was created to tackle the alarming increase in investment scams and to prevent future victims.

Australians lost a staggering $292,623,743 to online investment scams in 2023. Despite this alarming loss, many of these scams often go unreported, with only 8,681 reports received by Scamwatch in the same year. This highlights the need for greater awareness and understanding of the issue.

"By partnering with BankVic, we are able to provide guidance that could save people from risking their investments, savings and financial futures," said Stella Smith, Crime Stoppers Victoria Chief Executive.

Featuring Paul Colville, BankVic fraud and anti-money laundering expert and Alec Renehan, Co-founder of Equity Mates Media, the episode will cover topics such as recognising red flags, conducting due diligence, and reporting scams. Find the episode wherever you listen to your podcasts.

50th Anniversary Cards

Excitement is in the air as we officially kick off BankVic’s 50th Anniversary celebration— an opportunity to reflect on our rich history, achievements, and commitment to going further for members over the past five decades.

Fifty years on, our services now extend to members of the health and emergency services. We have a rich history to share and celebrate, and the celebrations will begin with our new look card.

We have commenced the rollout of the suite of 50th Anniversary commemorative cards. These will replace all expired, lost, stolen, or damaged cards - or are available on request (with a small $10 fee). Just give us a call on 13 63 73!

Call us on 13 63 73 to request a 50th Anniversary commemorative card!

BankSafe with BankVic: The Top Scams and How to Stay Safe

BankVic and Crime Stoppers have partnered to share the most common banking scam types and how you can keep yourself and loved ones safe.

Phishing

Phishing is one of the most common ways for scammers to try and steal your details. It’s important to remember that no credible organisation will ever ask you to log on or provide any form of sensitive details via a link in an e-mail or SMS. Essentially, if the text message, or email has a link – it's likely a scam.

Fake Cheques

Some scammers are tricking sellers online by promising to pay in cash for high-value items such as laptops or phones. The scammer will deposit a valueless cheque into your account, 
making it seem as if money has appeared. However, as the cheque is fraudulent, the bank will dishonour the cheque and reverse the transaction – leaving you empty-handed. To avoid this, insist on getting cash in person, use PayPal with buyer/seller insurance, or wait to ensure the money has cleared into your account before handing over the item.

Remote Access Scams

Scammers are calling bank members and pretending the victim has internet banking issues which needs to be resolved by a live chat online. The scammers then direct victims to a fake live chat site which looks completely legitimate, where they install remote access software on your computer and take control – stealing your sensitive details for unauthorised and fraudulent payments. If you find yourself in this situation, hang up immediately and call a trusted number to verify the interaction.

Ensuring you have knowledge on scams can be crucial to keeping your funds safe. If you think you’ve been scammed.

• Stop all contact with the scammer
• Contact BankVic or your card provider immediately to report the scam and ask them to stop any transactions.
• Report the scam to Scamwatch and law enforcement
• If you think some of your personal identity details might have fallen into the hands of scammers, contact IDCare.
• If you have lost personal information or money, report the incident to law enforcement at ReportCyber.

Account disclosure information 

We've changed how we're disclosing important information about your BankVic account. If you request certain account changes or sign up for a new product over the phone, you will now receive an email containing important information (such as our terms and conditions)

For more information, contact us on 13 63 73 or info@bankvic.com.au

Crime Stoppers Partnership

Crime Stoppers Victoria is delighted to continue its partnership with BankVic in 2024 to help Victorians stay safe online. Keep an eye out for new articles with our Online Safety Series at crimestoppersvic.com.au/current-focus/onlinesafety