Almost every week, someone walks into one of our branches holding their phone, asking the same question: “Is this real?”

Maybe it's a text that looks like it's from their bank. Maybe it's a call that seems to come from a number they recognize. But too often, it's the start of a scam and by the time they're asking us, the clock is already ticking.

Fraud isn't an abstract problem here in Pennsylvania. In 2024 alone, Pennsylvanians reported nearly 75,000 fraud incidents, totaling more than $285 million in losses with a median loss of $350 per victim. That's real money out of real people's pockets, often from folks who can least afford to lose it.

Fraud prevention isn't a side responsibility for the bank I work for, it's core to how we operate. Our team monitors accounts around the clock, flags anything that looks off and steps in when something doesn't add up.

But here's the hard truth, by the time a scam reaches us at the bank, a lot of the damage may already be done. Fraudsters are working outside the banking system using fake social media ads, spoofed phone numbers, phony texts and emails designed to convince someone to act before anyone at their bank ever sees a red flag. We can catch a lot, but we can't catch what happens before the money moves.

That's exactly why NexTier Bank fully supports the SCAM Act. It puts real tools in place to stop caller ID spoofing, holds platforms accountable for scam-related messages and closes the gaps scammers have been exploiting for years. Critically, it does this without getting in the way of the legitimate fraud alerts that banks like ours rely on to protect customers every day.

We believe this is a common-sense step that matches the size of the problem. Fraud has gotten too big, too coordinated and too fast for any one industry to handle alone. The SCAM Act, introduced early this year in both houses of Congress, would help protect not just our customers, but families, seniors and small businesses across Pennsylvania and beyond before the scammers ever get the chance.

That's worth acting on now. We owe it to our neighbors here in Western PA and to communities everywhere.

Denise Burke is AVP/BSA officer and fraud manager for NexTier Bank.