Kuwait - For the fifth consecutive year, Burgan Bank upholds its committed support for the “Let’s Be Aware” (Diraya) financial literacy and banking awareness campaign, launched by the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) and the Kuwait Banking Association (KBA) with the support of Kuwaiti banks. As part of its active contribution to the campaign during the festive season of Eid Al-Fitr, the Bank published a series of awareness tips across its social channels and website, underscoring the shared responsibility of achieving the highest degrees of banking safety, especially while traveling.

The Bank’s latest awareness campaign covered a wide range of tips for travelers on how to use their bank cards securely while enjoying the exclusive benefits that Burgan offers its various customer segments. The campaign also included vital warnings about the risks of falling victim to scamming attempts as a result of not following the safety precautions.

On this note, Ms. Hessa Hussain Al-Najadah, Senior Manager – Corporate and CSR Communications at Burgan Bank, said: “The travel season is always met with great enthusiasm for all the fun and memorable experiences it promises. Just as many travelers go to extra lengths to plan the details of their trips with delicate care, it is equally important to take all safety measures that guarantee secure overseas transactions. Our latest Diraya campaign was designed to ensure that our customers and community members are updated with all the precautionary measures they need during their travels abroad.”

Among the first tips the campaign underscored was the importance of downloading the Burgan Mobile application and activating the SMS notifications service, which instantly updates the customers on their card transactions. In addition, customers were advised to memorize or save their passwords and PINs separately from bank cards or mobile phones and not to share them with anyone.

The campaign also highlighted the danger of sharing the one-time password (OTP), confirming that the Bank representatives would never ask customers to reveal any bank-related information or personal data, such as the username, password, or bank card information via email, SMS, WhatsApp, or phone.

As for securing bank accounts from the danger of being hacked, Burgan strongly advised customers to refrain from connecting to public Wi-Fi networks or signing in to their bank accounts from public devices, which can pose a great security risk. The Bank also advised customers to check their bank cards’ expiry date and credit limit before traveling. Furthermore, customers were recommended to pay in the travel destination’s local currency during their trips abroad.

Other fraud risks that customers were cautioned about included checking for any foreign devices attached to ATMs and covering the keypad while inserting their PIN. In case of facing any trouble, the Bank advised customers to contact the Burgan customer service call center immediately.

Upon returning from their travels, Burgan Bank advised customers to change their bank card PIN and thoroughly check that their card spending activity matches their receipts, urging them to report any discrepancies or unfamiliar transactions found.

It serves to note that Burgan Bank’s efforts to spread vital financial literacy awareness tips on its social media accounts align with its comprehensive social responsibility program. In addition to its year-long awareness campaign, the Bank continues to fortify its data protection and cybersecurity systems, guaranteeing top protection for the customers’ assets against breach or theft.

About Burgan Bank

Established in 1977, Burgan Bank is a Kuwait-based conventional bank with a significant focus on the corporate and financial institution sectors. From its earliest days, the Bank has significantly sought to diversify its offering to cater to its growing retail and private banking customer base.

Burgan Bank has majority-owned subsidiaries, collectively known as the “Burgan Bank Group”, in the MENAT region. This Group is supported by one of the largest branch networks across the region and includes: Gulf Bank Algeria – AGB (Algeria), Tunis International Bank – TIB (Tunisia), and Burgan Bank Turkey. Furthermore, Burgan Bank has a presence in the UAE through its corporate office, Burgan Financial Services Limited.

The Bank has continuously improved its performance over the years, through an expanded revenue structure, diversified funding sources, and a strong capital base. The adoption of state-of-the-art services and technology has positioned it as a trendsetter in the domestic market and within the MENA region. Moreover, Burgan Bank’s brand has been built on a foundation of real values – trust, commitment, excellence, and progression – which serve as a reminder of the high standards to which the Bank always aspires. In fact, the Bank’s core philosophy of ‘Driven by You’ is the foundation on which its products and services are continuously developed.

Burgan Bank has achieved the LEED v4.1 O+M: EB Gold Certification for its Head Office in Kuwait City. The Bank has also obtained the ISO/IEC 27001: 2022 Information Security Management Systems certificate (ISMS), ISO /IEC 27701:2019 Privacy Information Management Systems (PIMS), ISO/IEC 20000-1: 2018 Information Technology  Service Management System (ITSMS) and was re-certified with the prestigious ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System (QMS), making it one of the few banks in the GCC and Kuwait to receive such certification for five consecutive times. At the same time, the Bank has the distinction of being the only Bank in Kuwait to have won the JP Morgan Chase Quality Recognition Award for twenty consecutive years. Moreover, in a testament to its dedication to the development of its human capital, Burgan Bank is the first bank in Kuwait to be certified as a Great Place to Work®, earning the distinct honor in 2023.

Burgan Bank is a majority-owned subsidiary of KIPCO (Kuwait Projects Company), one of the largest holding companies in the MENA region.