CARLISLE, Penn.—An alert teller here spared two elderly members from being ripped off by scammers. The teller at Cornerstone FCU encountered the elderly members who were described as “distraught,” according to a report first published in the newsletter of the Pennsylvania CU Association.
The Cornerstone teller said the member was upset while attempting to withdraw a large sum of cash to pay a utility bill. When asked about the bill, the member told the teller that a representative from a utility company was waiting at their home with her spouse to repair some faulty wiring in the home otherwise the home would burn down, the PCUA reported. According to the PCUA, the scammer repair person told the homeowner they would need to pay $500 in cash for the work.
“Cornerstone staff immediately recognized the situation was a scam and for the member’s safety did not allow her to leave with the cash,” the PCUA said. “Instead they called the Carlisle Police Department, and an officer went to the home and arrested the phony representative who was still at the home with the member’s spouse.
The PCUA used the story to remind that elder abuse is one of the fastest growing crimes.