ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — One Stateline bank says a simple question could be the best way to avoid getting scammed.

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. According to the American Bankers Association, consumers lost nearly $2 Billion to phishing scams in 2019.

Phishing is a type of online scam that targets consumers by sending them an e-mail that appears to be from a well-known source, like a bank. It then asks for personal information.

Now, Northwest Bank and the American Bankers Association are partnering up to raise awareness about scams.

The question you should ask yourself: ‘Why would a bank ever ask this?’

“If you got a text message or an email that says ‘hey, you know, click this link immediately we need to verify your information’ you should stop what you’re doing first off and think would a bank ever ask me for the information they already have? It just doesn’t make sense,” said Michael Teleso, a personal banker with Northwest Bank of Rockford

Teleso says all suspicious messages can be reported on the American Bankers Association website here.

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