When an elderly member visited the branch requesting two official checks totaling $70,000 for a cryptocurrency purchase, staff immediately recognized warning signs. Account notes showed he had recently attempted to wire the same amount for a Bitcoin investment — a request that had been declined due to multiple red flags, including hesitation and inconsistent responses. Alejandro took the time to ask clarifying questions and quickly escalated the situation to branch leadership. Through a deeper conversation, the team uncovered additional vulnerability indicators, including that the member lived alone following the loss of his wife and had learned about the “investment” through a long-time friend.
Despite repeated assurances from the member that he wished to proceed, the volume of red flags pointed to a likely cryptocurrency scam. After carefully explaining their concerns, the team made the difficult, but necessary, decision to decline the transaction. Upon hearing the decision, the member expressed gratitude and asked that the denial be documented to help protect him from making the same request again. He also added a Trusted Contact as an added safeguard.
Two days later, the member returned to personally thank the team for preventing what could have been a significant financial loss. Alejandro’s attention to detail and commitment to doing what’s right exemplify our dedication to protecting vulnerable members and delivering ethical, relationship-driven service.
