Hometown Bank is stepping up to protect local businesses from the growing threat of fraud with a free, hands-on community event: the 2025 Business Fraud Survival Camp, happening Wednesday, October 1, 2025, from 1:00 to 4:00 PM at the Kent State University Hotel & Conference Center.
With fraud schemes costing Ohio businesses millions each year, Hometown Bank is offering this unique program at no cost as part of its ongoing commitment to community education and financial security. The event is open to business owners, managers, finance professionals, and staff who want to sharpen their fraud prevention and response skills.
An Interactive Approach to a Serious Problem
Unlike traditional fraud lectures, the Fraud Survival Camp has been thoughtfully designed to be a creative, interactive, scenario-based event to keep attendees engaged while teaching critical fraud-fighting skills. Sessions will cover:
• Common Business Fraud Threats – Phishing, fake invoices, payroll scams, wire fraud, and ransomware
• First Line of Defense – Practical checklists, cybersecurity culture, and employee red flags
• Crisis Response Drill – Step-by-step remediation and who to call first
• Field Exercises – Tabletop scenarios where attendees work together to investigate and respond to fraud cases
Participants will also receive a Fraud Survival Kit, complete with prevention tools, red-flag checklists, remediation steps, and fraud awareness posters to take back to their businesses.
Building Community Connections
In addition to learning, attendees will have the chance to connect with peers and experts during Campfire Connections, a post-event networking session hosted at the hotel bar. Vendor tables and raffle drawings will add to the interactive, community-centered atmosphere.
“Learning how to prevent and remediate fraud is vital to the success of our area businesses, so we are making it as fun and engaging as possible,” said Scott Mikula, Executive Vice President Chief Operating Officer and Information Security Officer for Hometown Bank. “We created the Fraud Survival Camp to give businesses the knowledge and confidence to survive and thrive. By getting businesses together to fight fraud, we are helping to invest in the protection and strength of our community.”
Up to date information about the event can be found at https://ht.bank/fraudsurvivalcamp/.
