National Survey: U.S. Consumers Trust Banks Most for Fraud Protection

U.S. adults overwhelmingly trust banks more than any other entity to protect them from fraud, according to a new survey conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the American Bankers Association. By a 5-to-1 margin over the next closest sector, consumers chose banks (44%) over the government (8%), non-bank fintech payment providers (6%), healthcare providers (6%), AI providers (5%), major retailers (2%), cryptocurrency companies (1%) and telecom companies (1%). 
 
The research, unveiled today at ABA’s 2026 Annual Convention, also gauged consumers’ support for policy actions to combat fraud as well as their satisfaction with their bank, how they rate the banking industry’s competitiveness and their view on the role banks play in the U.S. economy. 
 
“This survey shows that Americans recognize the significant time, energy and resources banks devote to protecting them from fraud and scams.,” said Rob Nichols, ABA president and CEO. “From investing in the most advanced technology to helping customers identify and avoid scams, banks are working every day to protect their customers’ financial security. These findings make clear that consumers see banks as a trusted partner in the ongoing fight against fraud, and that they want others to join the effort.”
 
The survey also found that:

• More than eight in 10 bank customers (83%) said their bank takes proactive steps to protect them from fraud and scams
• Nearly three-quarters (71%) believe their bank does more than businesses in other industries to protect them
• More than half of consumers (52%) have received a fraud alert from their banks alerting them to potentially suspicious account activity, and 95% found these alerts valuable

Consumers Support Policy Actions to Combat Online and Phone Scams

The survey confirms that Americans are fed up with being targeted by social media and telephone scams and want the government to take action to stop it:

• Nearly three-quarters (72%) of Americans have seen ads and messages on social media from people and businesses they believe are fraudulent and deceptive
• Large majorities support government actions to combat fraud. 
  • Eight in 10 (79%) support federal legislation that requires social media companies to do more to identify and remove fake accounts and fraudulent ads from proliferating on their platforms. A bipartisan bill in Congress, the SCAM Act, would require social media companies to combat fraud more aggressively
    With the proliferation of scammers spoofing caller ID to impersonate trusted entities like banks, government agencies and law enforcement, 82% of consumers said they support regulatory action that requires telecommunications providers to do more to authenticate the identity of a caller and prevent spoofed caller IDs.  The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is currently pursuing a range of regulatory action in this area. 
  • Eight in 10 (81%) support regulatory action that requires telecommunications providers to do more to stop illegally spoofed calls that pass through their network, rather than delivering the illegal calls to recipients or to another provider
  • 3 in 4 (76%) support additional funding for the FCC to bring more enforcement actions against telecommunications providers that allow fraudulent calls to be originated or transited through the provider’s network (vs. only 9% who oppose)

“Many of the most damaging scams originate on social media or through deceptive phone calls, and Americans clearly want telecom and social media companies to do more to stop fraud on their platforms,” said Nichols. “These companies have both the ability and responsibility to stop scammers before they reach consumers, and the strong public support for bipartisan proposals such as the SCAM Act sends an unmistakable message that consumer protection must come before profits.” 

Consumers Are Happy with their Bank

The new survey also found that an overwhelming majority of consumers are happy with their bank and view banks as vital to the U.S. economy. 

• 9 in 10 Americans with a bank account (85%) say they are “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with their primary bank  
• 96% rate their bank’s customer service as “excellent,” “very good” or “good”  
  The survey found that Americans believe the nation’s banks compete aggressively for their business and they have ample access to banking services.  
  • 8 in 10 say:  
    • the financial services industry is highly competitive (77%)
    • they have multiple options when selecting products and services such as bank accounts, loans and credit cards (77%)
    • they have a wide array of choices when deciding where to bank (79%)
    • they have easy access to a bank branch when they need it (77%)
  • 93% characterize their overall access to banking services today as “excellent,” “very good” or “good” 
• Three-quarters of consumers (73%) said the nation’s banks are a source of strength for the U.S. economy and they appreciate the key role banks play in supporting the financial needs of individuals, businesses and local communities 

“This survey makes clear that consumers value the service, security and personal support they receive from their bank,” said Nichols. “The strong satisfaction numbers reflect the trust banks earn by putting their customers first and helping safeguard their financial well-being.”

ABA released an accompanying infographic highlighting some of the survey results. The full results for the survey questions are as follows:

When asked “Of the following, who do you trust most to protect you from fraud?” consumers provided the following answers:

• Banks – 44%
• The government – 8%
• Healthcare providers – 6%
• Non-bank financial technology (fintech) providers (such as Apple Pay, Venmo, PayPal, Stripe) – 6%
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) providers (e.g., OpenAI, ChatGPT, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, etc.) – 5%
• Major retailers – 2%
• Cryptocurrency companies – 1%
• Telecom companies (such as Sprint, Verizon, AT&T) – 1%
• Don’t know/no opinion – 29%

When asked “Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? My bank takes proactive steps to protect me from fraud/scams.” consumers provided the following responses: 

• Strongly agree – 44%
• Somewhat agree – 39%
• Somewhat disagree – 7%
• Strongly disagree – 3%
• Don’t know/no opinion – 7%

When asked “Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? My bank does more than businesses in other industries to protect me from fraud/scams.” consumers provided the following responses: 

• Strongly agree – 34%
• Somewhat agree – 37%
• Somewhat disagree – 9%
• Strongly disagree – 3%
• Don’t know/no opinion – 16%

When asked “Have you ever received a fraud alert (e.g., text, email or app notifications) from your bank alerting you to potentially suspicious activity on your account such as unusual transactions or unexpected logins?” consumers provided the following answers:

• Yes – 52%
• No – 41%
• Don’t know/no opinion – 7%

When asked “How valuable do you find fraud alerts from your bank alerting you to possible suspicious activity?” consumers provided the following answers:

• Highly valuable – 74%
• Somewhat valuable– 21%
• Not too valuable – 3%
• Not valuable at all – 1%
• Don’t know/no opinion – 1%

When asked “How often are you and your family members seeing ads and messages on social media from people and businesses you believe are fraudulent and deceptive?” consumers provided the following answers:

• All the time – 16%
• Frequently – 23%
• Occasionally – 33%
• Never – 9%
• Don’t know/no opinion – 19%

When asked “Scammers often leverage social media platforms to target their victims via fake profiles or fraudulent ads. Would you support or oppose federal legislation such as the Safeguarding Consumers from Advertising Misconduct (SCAM) Act that requires social media companies to do more to identify and remove fake accounts and fraudulent ads from proliferating on their platforms?” consumers provided the following answers:

• Strongly support– 52%
• Somewhat support – 27%
• Somewhat oppose – 5%
• Strongly oppose – 2%
• Don’t know/no opinion – 13%

When asked “Scammers currently have the ability to spoof caller ID to impersonate trusted entities, like banks, government agencies and law enforcement. Would you support or oppose regulatory action that requires telecommunications providers (e.g. Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T) to do more to authenticate the identity of a caller and prevent spoofed caller IDs?" consumers provided the following answers:

• Strongly support– 55%
• Somewhat support – 27%
• Somewhat oppose – 4%
• Strongly oppose – 2%
• Don’t know/no opinion – 12%

When asked “Would you support or oppose regulatory action that requires telecommunications providers to do more to stop illegally spoofed calls that pass through their network, rather than delivering the illegal calls to recipients or to another provider?” consumers provided the following answers:

• Strongly support– 53%
• Somewhat support – 28%
• Somewhat oppose – 6%
• Strongly oppose – 2%
• Don’t know/no opinion – 12%

When asked “Would you support or oppose additional funding for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to bring more enforcement actions against telecommunications providers that allow fraudulent calls to be originated or transited through the provider’s network?” consumers provided the following answers:

• Strongly support– 44%
• Somewhat support – 32%
• Somewhat oppose – 7%
• Strongly oppose – 2%
• Don’t know/no opinion – 15%

When asked “On a scale of 1-5, where 5 is very satisfied and 1 is very dissatisfied, how satisfied are you with your primary bank?” respondents who have a bank account provided the following responses: 

• 5 - Very satisfied – 48%
• 4 - Satisfied – 37%
• 3 - Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied – 12%
• 2 - Dissatisfied – 2%
• 1 - Very dissatisfied – 1%

When asked “On a scale of 1-5, where 5 is very satisfied and 1 is very dissatisfied, how satisfied are you with your primary bank’s customer service?” respondents who have a bank account provided the following responses:

• Excellent– 42%
• Very good – 34%
• Good – 20%
• Poor – 4%
• Don’t know/no opinion – 1%

When asked “To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The financial services industry is highly competitive,” consumers provided the following responses:

• Strongly agree – 42%
• Somewhat agree – 35%
• Somewhat disagree – 7%
• Strongly disagree – 4%
• Don’t know/no opinion – 12%

When asked “To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? I have multiple options to choose from when selecting financial products and services such as bank accounts, loans, and/or credit cards,” consumers provided the following responses:

• Strongly agree– 43%
• Somewhat agree – 34%
• Somewhat disagree – 8%
• Strongly disagree – 4%
• Don’t know/no opinion – 10%

When asked “Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? I have a wide array of choices when deciding where to bank” consumers provided the following responses:

• Strongly agree – 47%
• Somewhat agree – 32%
• Somewhat disagree – 9%
• Strongly disagree – 4%
• Don’t know/no opinion – 9%

When asked “To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? I have easy access to a bank branch when I need it” consumers provided the following responses:

• Strongly agree – 45%
• Somewhat agree – 32%
• Somewhat disagree – 8%
• Strongly disagree – 6%
• Don’t know/no opinion – 8%

When asked “Given the growth of digital and online tools as well as traditional branches and ATMs, how would you characterize your overall access to banking services today?” consumers provided the following responses:

• Excellent – 33%
• Very good – 34%
• Good – 26%
• Poor – 1%
• Don’t know/no opinion – 6%

When asked “Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The nation’s 4,400 banks are a source of strength for the U.S economy, and I appreciate the critical role they play in supporting the financial needs of individuals, businesses and local communities,” consumers provided the following answers:

• Strongly agree – 31%
• Agree – 42%
• Disagree – 8%
• Strongly disagree – 3%
• Don’t know/no opinion – 17%

About the Survey
This poll was conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the American Bankers Association from October 9-12, 2026, among a national sample of 4,402 adults split into two representative groups for specific question sets (Split Sample A n=2,191 | Split Sample B n=2,211). The interviews were conducted online and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on age, race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment, and region. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 1 percentage point.