Here’s a sobering stat: Minnesotans are losing roughly $1.5 billion every year to online scams.
That’s billion with a B.
To put it in perspective, that’s enough to buy every single person in the Twin Cities a pretty decent lunch—every day—for months.
But eight Minnesota credit unions aren’t just sitting around watching their communities get fleeced. They’re joining forces with law enforcement and fraud experts to fight back, hosting a free seminar that’s part educational workshop, part community service event, and entirely focused on keeping your money where it belongs—in your pocket.
“Scammers are constantly changing their playbook, but they often rely on the same things: urgency, fear and trust,” explains Derek Schmidt, payments and fraud manager at Novation Credit Union. “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.”
What’s on the Agenda
The heart of the event is a 75-minute educational session led by people who deal with this stuff every day. You’ll hear from 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 from Novation Credit Union, and Brad Lynch (director of fraud investigations and recovery at Wings Financial Credit Union).
These folks will walk you through how modern scams actually work, what new tricks fraudsters are using, and—most importantly—what you can do to protect yourself.
Interactive Learning (Because Nobody Likes Just Sitting and Listening)
After the main session, you can wander through information booths that tackle today’s most common scams. Think of it as a choose-your-own-adventure guide through the world of fraud. You’ll learn how to:
- Spot romance scams (because not everyone sliding into your DMs has pure intentions)
- Recognize when that “IRS agent” calling you is actually a scammer in a call center
- Identify red flags in job offers, investment opportunities, and cryptocurrency pitches
- Tell the difference between legitimate communications and phishing attempts in emails and texts
Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union is specifically running the romance scam booth, helping attendees figure out how to stay open to genuine online connections without getting conned.
Bonus: Clean Out Your Digital (and Paper) Clutter
While you’re there, you can also take care of some housekeeping. Shred N Go will be providing free secure paper shredding—perfect for those old bank statements and documents cluttering up your home office. And Minnesota Tech for Success will collect old electronics like laptops, desktops, tablets, and cellphones. They’ll either refurbish them for Minnesota schools or recycle them properly. Either way, all your data gets destroyed using NAID AAA-certified practices, so you don’t have to worry about your information falling into the wrong hands.
Just a heads up: they can’t take household appliances or anything with hazardous materials, so leave the old microwave at home.
Who’s Making This Happen
This collaboration includes eight credit unions working together:
- 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
The Minnesota Credit Union Foundation and Visa® are providing funding to make the event possible, which is why you get all this expert knowledge and practical help without spending a dime.
In a world where scammers are getting more sophisticated by the day, this kind of community-focused education isn’t just helpful—it’s essential. So mark your calendar, register on Eventbrite, and spend an evening learning how to keep yourself (and your money) safe.