Human Intervention Stops $9.6 Million In Elder Fraud At Patelco / Fresh Today / CUToday.info | #datingscams #romancescams

DUBLIN, Calif.— The $9.5-billion Patelco CU said it prevented nearly $9.6 million in potential fraud losses during the first year of its Senior Advocate Program, highlighting both the growing sophistication of scams targeting older adults and the role frontline employees play in stopping them.

The credit union said its program, launched in July 2025, blocked $9.63 million in suspected fraudulent transactions across nearly 700 transaction requests tied to scams and financial exploitation. Patelco said the initiative is part of its broader effort to protect members as fraud schemes—including those aided by artificial intelligence—continue to evolve.

“Financial exploitation of older adults is evolving rapidly, especially with the rise of artificial intelligence,” Jennifer Mink, Patelco’s vice president of member experience and financial wellbeing, said in a statement. “While technology plays a role in defense, it is the human connection—trained employees asking the right questions—that is making a critical difference.”

According to Patelco, the most common scams identified through the program this year were family and friend impersonation fraud (26%), followed by computer and tech support scams (12%), cryptocurrency-related scams (10%), government impersonation scams (8%), fraudulent financial institution call spoofing (8%) and romance scams (7%). Construction and contractor scams accounted for about 2.4% of cases but are expected to increase seasonally.

Patelco said every case flagged through the Senior Advocate Program was identified through direct employee interaction rather than automated fraud detection systems, with trained staff recognizing suspicious activity while speaking with members and intervening before transactions were completed.

The credit union said suspicious transaction reports peaked at 80 cases in April but have since declined month over month, a trend it attributes to increased member education, proactive outreach and continued staff training.

“These early signs of decline are encouraging,” Mink said. “They suggest that education, prevention, and community awareness are working—but we must remain vigilant.”