International Fraud Awareness Week, dedicated to promoting awareness, detection, and prevention of fraud, will be celebrated from November 11 - 17. Coinciding with this important global event, PSECU, Pennsylvania’s largest credit union, will host its annual Fraud Fair for employees on November 13 at its headquarters in Harrisburg.
“Because we’re our members’ trusted financial partner, sometimes they call us about a ‘computer repair’ message they received or a suspicious email that asks for their account information,” said PSECU President Greg Smith. “We want to be sure that our frontline staff is aware of all the different channels fraudsters might use – like phone and text messages – to steal members’ money or their personal information to set up identity theft. Our Fraud Fair is a great resource to bolster the ongoing fraud-detection training we provide our employees.”
Hosted each year by the credit union’s Loss Prevention & Security unit, PSECU’s Fraud Fair event provides employees with an opportunity to learn more about different types of fraud and how fraud risks can be reduced in an effort to protect members and their financial assets. This year’s theme is “Digital Scams,” and looks at how social media, online sales, and other digital means can be used to commit fraud.
The event will feature internal exhibitors from across PSECU, including Loss Prevention & Security, Information Security, eCommerce, Anti-Money Laundering, and Financial Education. External vendors and partners, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Lower Paxton Police Department, Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Pennsylvania Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Secret Service, will also participate.
“Fighting fraud is a team effort that comes from individual members, our employees, and a network of organizations dedicated to preventing fraud and raising awareness of this costly crime,” said Smith. “Having some of these partners onsite allows fair visitors to ask questions and learn even more about ways to detect and stop fraud before it happens. We thank them for being part of our Fraud Fair and appreciate their ongoing efforts to help protect our members’ personal and financial information.”
All of PSECU’s more than 850 employees are encouraged to attend the event and participate in the learning activities to further prepare them to serve the credit union’s 450,000 members in Pennsylvania and beyond.
In addition to the onsite training for employees, PSECU will provide student-focused activities at the universities and colleges within its campus program each day of International Fraud Awareness Week. These include schools that comprise Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education, numerous community colleges, and several private institutions. This type of outreach aligns with PSECU’s goal of helping students set a solid foundation for their future financial well-being and success.