Demonstrating the power of collaborative advocacy to protect consumers, Congresswoman Susie Lee recently brought together credit unions, law enforcement, and community organizations for a senior fraud prevention workshop aimed at safeguarding one of Nevada’s most vulnerable populations.
Held at a local senior living community in Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District, the event highlighted the congresswoman’s commitment to protecting older adults from increasingly sophisticated financial scams.
Organized in partnership with Nevada’s Credit Unions, Create Credit Union, Silver State Schools Credit Union, the Nevada State Office of the Attorney General, the Southern Nevada Senior Law Program and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the workshop provided seniors with practical tools and resources to recognize, avoid, and report fraud.
Equipping residents with tools to spot and prevent modern scams comes during a pivotal period in the state. According to recent data from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Nevada ranks third in the nation for loss-per-capita in fraud scams and cybercrime. In recent years, local victims have lost up to $302 million to financial predators.
Silver State Schools Credit Union led a session dedicated to identifying romance scams, where scammers build trust over weeks or months through online dating apps, social media, or email before manufacturing an “emergency” that requires immediate cash, gift cards, or wire transfers. Credit union representatives walked seniors through common warning signs of these emotional manipulations and provided attendees with a list of resources and emergency hotlines.
Create Credit Union led a session on artificial intelligence and voice-cloning scams, where bad actors use short audio clips of a target’s relative to clone their voice. The scammer then calls the senior, posing as the distressed family member, demanding urgent money for bail, medical bills, or travel emergencies. Credit union representatives provided advice on how to handle these suspicious calls and warning signs.
Nevada’s Credit Unions would like to thank Create Credit Union and Silver State Schools Credit Union for donating their time and expertise to an event highlighting the community-first mission of local credit unions. It was another example of how credit unions come together for important causes, leaving a lasting impression on the senior community.
