Beavercreek, Ohio (3-16-26) – Today, area credit unions, including Wright-Patt Credit Union, Day Air Credit Union, Firefighters & Company Federal Credit Union, River Valley Credit Union, and Universal 1 Credit Union, hosted a roundtable discussion with local law enforcement and community stakeholders to discuss the increase in fraud and efforts to prevent residents from falling victim to financial scams.

Americans Lost More Than $12 Billion to Fraud in 2024, an Increase of 25 Percent

“Our main goal is to protect our members and keep our communities as safe as we can,” said Jason Frantz, Wright-Patt Credit Union.

“It’s that trust piece with members, making sure they know they can trust us if they find themselves to be a victim of fraud,” said Lisa Schaefer, Universal 1 Credit Union.

“Educating our members is hugely important. If someone is calling you from our credit union saying it’s extremely urgent, then you need to call a trusted source and make sure the information is legitimate. Anytime someone is trying to force urgency on a situation, it’s most likely fraud,” said Lori Tieman, Firefighters and Company Federal Credit Union.

“Artificial intelligence is starting to look much more legitimate, so these scammers are getting harder to catch. We encourage members to slow down and bring it to their credit union if they have questions and seek an additional set of eyes,” said Daniel Koons, Day Air Credit Union.

“We urge members to keep their passwords up-to-date and to keep their passwords varied and safe,” said Lydia Crandon, River Valley Credit Union.

“Law enforcement agencies, government organizations will never ask for payment by gift card. We encourage people to call and verify that an email or a communication is legitimate before handing over a gift card or any money,” said Captain Isaiah Kellar, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

“We’re getting a lot of family member scams and law enforcement impersonation scams, asking folks to pay with bitcoin or alternative forms of payment. These scammers are playing on people’s fears and their weak spots,” said Captain Jonathan Emery, Greene County Sheriff’s Office.

“We went to these bitcoin ATM machines and posted signs that said ‘don’t pay law enforcement with these, don’t pay your utility bills with these.’ But these scammers have a lot of money to make, so it’s a fight we’re continually having to have,”said Detective Jerry Bell, Dayton Police Department.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC),consumers lost more than $12 billion to fraud in 2024, an increase of 25 percent from 2023. Americans lost a combined total of more than $8.5 billion to investment and imposter scams alone.

Credit unions are not-for-profit, member-owned, community-based, and democratically controlled financial institutions. Helping local communities protect themselves from fraud is part of the credit union’s mission to secure financial well-being for all.