DUBLIN, Calif. — Patelco Credit Union said its Senior Advocate Program prevented an estimated $9.63 million in potential losses during its first year by intervening in nearly 700 transactions linked to suspected fraud and scams.
According to the $9.6-billion Patelco, the program, which launched in July 2025, is designed to help protect older adults from financial exploitation through direct conversations between trained employees and members. The credit union said all suspected fraud cases identified through the program were detected through human interaction rather than automated fraud monitoring systems.
Patelco attributed the results to employee training and member outreach as fraud schemes become increasingly sophisticated, including scams that use artificial intelligence.
Human Connection is ‘Critical Difference’
“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 types of scams identified through the program in 2026 were:
- Family or friend impersonation fraud: 26%
- Computer and tech support scams: 12%
- Cryptocurrency or Coinbase-related scams: 10%
- Government impersonation scams: 8%
- Call spoofing involving fraudulent financial institutions: 8%
- Romance scams: 7%
- Construction and contractor scams: 2.4%, which Patelco said it expects to increase seasonally.
Seeing Month-Over-Month Declines
The credit union said the program recorded its highest monthly volume of suspicious transactions in April 2026, when employees identified 80 suspected cases. Patelco said it has since experienced month-over-month declines in suspicious activity, which it attributes to increased member awareness, employee training and proactive conversations with members.
“These early signs of decline are encouraging,” Mink said in the statement. “They suggest that education, prevention, and community awareness are working—but we must remain vigilant.”
Patelco said it is expanding its fraud prevention efforts by strengthening protections for members experiencing cognitive decline, enhancing safeguards against member impersonation schemes and improving its tracking of fraudulent activity.
The credit union also encouraged families to discuss financial decisions with older relatives, saying conversations with trusted family members before completing major financial transactions can help prevent fraud.
