Tackling Fraud, With AllSouth AllStar Nora

 We live in a world where it is very hard to identify bad actors, and it is easy to fall victim to the scams they sell.  Nora’s compassion in dealing with these embarrassing situations not only help members recover lost funds, but also provides tips and tricks for protecting members from the check scammers, identity thieves, email and text message scammers, and the bevy of other threats lurking about.”

Nora has been with us for 17 years. She’s held numerous positions in that time, including member service representative, assistant branch manager, and auditor. Now she works in our risk management department, looking out for you and making sure you’re not a victim of fraud. She has also gathered interesting stories, including one about a lizard breaking into the branch through the drive-through tube (chaos ensued, as you can imagine).

Being a member of our risk management team, Nora deals with various aspects of fraud and loss. Her main goal is to minimize loss and maximize recovery due to fraud. She’ll conduct investigations and work with law enforcement to help take down fraudsters looking to scam members. When talking about types of fraud she deals with, she explained, “There have been multiple instances when I’ve reviewed checks that were deposited the previous day and found them to be counterfeit.  It’s almost always a member who fell victim to an online scam thinking they were hired as a secret shopper, caregiver, or personal assistant, etc.  The first thing I do is try to contact the member and explain what’s going on.  Not always, but many times I’ve been able to speak with them before they send the money to the so called ‘employer’ of the scam and end up owing thousands of dollars they don’t have.” Scams like this are some of the most common our team encounters on a regular basis.

If a member does fall victim to a scam, Nora will reach out to them and explain the process and provide information so that they will be better prepared to avoid fraud and scams in the future. She recalled, “I’ve spent days helping members. There are several members I helped when they were just moving into the financial world of adulthood that still keep in touch and ask for my help when they have questions about financial matters.” She also helps our branch team members by providing support as they assist members going through the process of reporting fraud. 

When asked about what she enjoys most about her job, Nora had this to say, “I love not knowing exactly what may pop up on any given day, the challenge of making connections through research, and the detailed work of creating and building cases to help the credit union and our members.”

“What makes Nora an AllStar is her strong work ethic. One way in which she shows this is by looking for the most efficient way to complete a task.  She provides excellent service to our members and AllSouth employees while educating everyone along the way. She is definitely AllStar material. Congratulations Nora!” said team member Sharmett on what makes Nora an AllStar.

Outside of work, Nora loves going to the gym, reading, watching Marvel movies (sorry DC), and traveling. Oh, and for those concerned about the lizard, he was apprehended (thanks to superb members), and released outside.

If you want to learn more about how to prevent fraud, check out our security center. You might also like these articles:

• What You Need to Know to Protect Yourself from Spoofing
• Protect Yourself from Fraud this Holiday Season
• 6 Tips to Protecting Your Identity

If you suspect fraud or believe you've been the victim of identity theft, we're here to help. Contact us to report any fraudulent activity.