“Most of the victims of bank fraud crimes are consumers and bank customers with little digital skills”, said Natália Nunes.

“It is urgent to create quick ways to empower at risk consumers with some digital and financial literacy and, in this way, avoid bank fraud”, she added.

According to DECO, empowering customers and consumers for the digital banking transition and improving financial literacy levels of the most socially vulnerable population will contribute to reducing inequalities in knowledge and access to digital banking services.

“The future of banking is a topic that affects all Portuguese people”, says Luís Matos Martins, CEO of Territórios Criativos.

The increase in bank fraud recorded in recent months, many of them related to the MB WAY app, has highlighted the urgent need to implement specific measures to prevent these crimes.

“Digital illiteracy is a social emergency that has worsened with the development of financial markets, the growing complexity of digital financial products, services and tools”, says Luís Matos Martins.

The Mayor of Alvaiázere, Célia Marques, recalls the closure of the Millennium BCP branch in her municipality due to “economic viability criteria” and the “serious disturbances that this caused to the population”, a situation that has occurred in many rural areas of the country.

“The people of Alvaiázere who did not have a means of transport to travel to the nearest branch were extremely distressed. But, above all, they were limited by not having enough knowledge to start a digital relationship with their bank”, she explains.

Author

Paula Martins is a fully qualified journalist, who finds writing a means of self-expression. She studied Journalism and Communication at University of Coimbra and recently Law in the Algarve. Press card: 8252

Paula Martins