How PSECU Trains Every Employee to Stop Fraud Before It Happens

A member walked into one of our PSECU branches asking to withdraw a large sum of cash. She needed it to pay a contractor, she explained.

Our teller started asking follow-up questions. What kind of work was the contractor doing? What’s the contractor’s name? The member became evasive, then defensive. The teller called our fraud team. We asked more questions. The member grew more defensive, so we told her directly: We think you’re getting scammed, and we can’t let you make this withdrawal.

She left and returned the next day, this time claiming she was buying a vehicle. Our team recognized her from the day before and asked for details, but she wouldn’t share them.

She came back a third time and told us the truth: Someone claiming to be from PayPal had contacted her about a supposed refund. They made it look like they’d deposited $30,000 by mistake and asked her to refund it, but told her she couldn’t tell her financial institution, or she’d get in trouble.

Those were uncomfortable conversations, but they ultimately protected the member from a $30,000 fraud loss. When we helped her navigate the scenario, she went from defensive to grateful.

How fraud has evolved

Fraud is no longer just Nigerian prince emails or requests for a few thousand dollars. We’re seeing pig butchering scams where fraudsters spend weeks or months building relationships with victims. They’re convincing people to move six-figure sums into cryptocurrency, at which point the money is nearly impossible to recover.

We’re also seeing an uptick in tech support scams, where fraudsters convince victims they’re there to help and gain remote access to devices. And this isn’t just an issue for older members. It’s everyone. Fraudsters are getting more and more savvy in making themselves appear legitimate and using the channels younger generations are used to using.

That’s why we recently held our second annual Fight Fraud with PSECU Seminar at our headquarters in Harrisburg. More than 150 people attended in person or virtually, and members asked questions, engaged with our fraud prevention team and partners from AARP and USPIS, and shared their own stories.

We’re passionate about member education, and feedback from the event confirmed that members want this information. But the real defense happens in daily interactions when someone pauses and asks the right questions.

How we actually stop fraud

At PSECU, everyone is trained to spot fraud — call center representatives, loan underwriters, and branch tellers. They learn the red flags. They know which questions to ask. They understand that a defensive reaction or evasive answers can signal that something’s wrong.

There’s always a risk that a member feels interrogated when they have a legitimate reason for a transaction. But the alternative — letting someone send $30,000 to a fraudster — is worse.

We also invest in monitoring tools on the back end. We watch for unusual patterns. If something doesn’t look right, we reach out. Most people appreciate knowing we’re paying attention and looking out for them.

The challenge is that fraud prevention success is often invisible. We spend our time and resources on victims — helping them recover losses, filing reports, and dealing with the aftermath. But what about all the times a member called us first to verify something that sounded suspicious? What about the times our monitoring caught something before money moved? Those are wins.

One member called us after receiving a spoofed call that appeared to be from PSECU. She told us: “I didn’t give out any information because I remembered seeing something on your website about these types of calls.” That kind of feedback reminds us that education is working, even if we can’t measure its full impact.

Fighting fraud together

One of the most valuable parts of my role is the information sharing that happens across the financial services industry. We’re not competitors when it comes to fraud prevention. When one institution sees a new scam tactic emerge, leadership shares the learnings. A month later, when that same tactic shows up with our members, we’re prepared.

Fraudsters are organized and collaborative. They run call centers. They share scripts. They test tactics and refine what works. Financial institutions need to be equally collaborative.

At PSECU, our goal is to provide lifelong value to our members. That means being there when they have questions, even if those questions sound unusual. It means training our staff to recognize when something doesn’t look right. And it means being part of an industry that works together to stay ahead of people who are constantly finding new ways to exploit trust.

If you’re ever unsure about a phone call, an email, a text message, or someone asking you to move money quickly, reach out to your financial institution. The best defense is asking questions before you act. Check out our fraud prevention page for more tips on safeguarding your accounts.