ST. PAUL, Minn. — Eight Minnesota credit unions are partnering with law enforcement and fraud prevention experts to host a free community seminar aimed at helping consumers recognize scams, protect personal information and respond if they become victims of fraud.
According to Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union, the Credit Unions Fighting Fraud seminar will be held Aug. 20 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Shoreview Community Center in Shoreview, Minn. The event is free and open to the public, with registration available through Eventbrite.
The seminar comes as Minnesotans lose an estimated $1.5 billion annually to online scams, according to a recent report by the Consumer Federation of America, Affinity Plus said.
75-Minute Educational Session
The event will feature a 75-minute educational session led by fraud prevention and public safety experts, including:
- Erica Thompson, outreach program manager with the Minnesota and North Dakota Better Business Bureau.
- Alicia Ouellette, crime prevention deputy with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office.
- Derek Schmidt, payments and fraud manager at Novation Credit Union.
- Brad Lynch, director of fraud investigations and recovery at Wings Financial Credit Union.
The speakers will explain how common scams operate, discuss emerging fraud tactics and provide practical steps consumers can take to reduce their risk.
“Scammers are constantly changing their playbook, but they often rely on the same things: urgency, fear and trust,” Schmidt said in a statement. “Fraud isn’t a problem any one institution can solve alone. By bringing credit unions, law enforcement and community experts together, we can help take the secrecy and shame out of these scams and give people practical tools to pause, spot the warning signs and know what to do before they send money, share information or click a link.”
Interactive Booths
In addition to the educational session, attendees will be able to visit interactive information booths covering many of today’s most common fraud schemes, including:
- Romance scams.
- Impersonation scams involving family members or government officials.
- Fraudulent job offers.
- Investment and cryptocurrency scams.
- Check and wire transfer fraud.
- Email and text message phishing schemes.
Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union will host the romance scam booth, offering guidance on recognizing warning signs while safely building online relationships.
The event will also include free secure document shredding provided by Shred N Go. Minnesota Tech for Success will collect laptops, desktop computers, tablets, cellphones and other small electronic devices for refurbishment for Minnesota schools or recycling. Organizers said all device data will be destroyed using NAID AAA-certified practices. Household appliances and equipment containing hazardous materials will not be accepted.
The Participating Credit Unions
Participating credit unions include:
- Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union
- City & County Credit Union
- Expedition Credit Union
- Ideal Credit Union
- MY Credit Union
- Novation Credit Union
- Royal Credit Union
- Wings Financial Credit Union
According to Affinity Plus, the event is supported in part through funding from the Minnesota Credit Union Foundation and Visa.
