For our team member Bettie, what was a routine request quickly became something more. One day, a member approached Bettie at the front line and asked to withdraw $2,000 from her savings. Although this was a routine transaction for the member, Bettie noticed she seemed unusually anxious.
“I gently asked if anyone was pressuring her to take out the money or if it involved gift cards,” Bettie says. “That’s when she showed me her phone and began to cry.”
The member was actively on the phone with a scammer, who told her if she ended the call, she would go to jail. Bettie gently asked the member to hang up the phone, explained how the scam worked, and reassured her that she was safe. The member shared that her mother recently passed away, and the scammer used her vulnerability against her. Bettie hugged the member and stayed with her until she was steady again.
“My heart broke for her,” Bettie says. “But I was grateful I was there in that moment to protect her and stop the scam before she lost her money.”
A few days later, the member brought in flowers to thank Bettie and tell her that she would never forget the kindness and compassion she was offered at the branch in that moment. At Gulf Winds, we lead with our core values every day. Bettie showed that leading with care means looking beyond the transaction and recognizing the member’s wellbeing. Our goal is to give members support that allow them the freedom to live their life with financial peace of mind.
