SUMMER 2022
Suncoast SENIOR and CAREGIVER Newsletter
MEET OUR LEAD MEMBER VICTIM ADVOCATE At Suncoast, we believe that older people deserve to live their golden years with dignity and respect. That’s why we have a team dedicated to advocacy and support for the financial well-being of our members and their families. Donna Moses is an integral part of this team, serving as lead member victim advocate. Donna leads Suncoast’s efforts to prevent financial exploitation through community outreach and education. If a member is a victim of financial exploitation or a financial scam, she works the case to limit the impact and ensure our members receive the support they deserve. “My role provides the member someone to talk with and give guidance and important information regarding scams and how they work,” Donna said. “Also, the assurance of knowing we have someone specific to this specific issue.” Donna uses knowledge, fraud experience, and a deep sense of compassion for our seniors to help identify a scam, then communicate with our members in a sensitive manner. Her team helps members navigate through and avoid potential
scams and minimize financial loss. “Being able to educate them and share the experiences of others contributes to their total well-being, not just financially,” Donna said.
DONNA MOSES
Suncoast’s victim advocates team is dedicated exclusively to the financial well-being of our senior member population. Donna also does outreach and coordination with nonprofit organization focusing on seniors and their needs. With almost 40 years of experience at Suncoast, Donna has seen how Suncoast’s growth over time has allowed us to expand our offerings for members, focusing on their growing needs. “I am excited we will able to help more people with their financial needs as we continue to grow,” she said. “After almost 40 years of service, a lot has changed, but we still hold true to our core values and this is very important to me, our employees and members.”
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These scammers might pretend to be from your financial institution and say you had a large amount transferred out of your account. Or they might pretend to be from a shipping company and say they have tracking information for a package you never bought. Or they might say they are from the IRS and you owe money. Notice a pattern? The scam texts or emails are trying to pressure you into taking action to get you to click on a fraudulent link.
Help Protect Yourself from a Scam with One Simple Action
These sorts of scams might happen over the phone too. The scammer will impersonate a legitimate business or organization, then try to trick you into giving personal information.
Scammers are clever. They are experts at tricking people. Thankfully, there is one simple thing you can do to prevent yourself from becoming a victim of fraud: do NOT click the link.
Suncoast will NEVER ask for your complete account number, PIN, CVV code, or full social security number in a text or email. If you receive a message asking for that kind of information, do NOT engage!
It’s that easy! When you get an unexpected text that claims to be from Suncoast Credit Union or another financial institution and it includes a link, do NOT click it.
All you have to do is ignore these types of calls, texts, or emails and reach out to the organization directly.
If you get an unexpected email trying to get you to take action, do not click the links.
When in doubt, just hang up and contact the business or organization directly.
Learn more about how to protect yourself at suncoastcreditunion.com/blog.
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SUNCOAST IS AARP BANKSAFE CERTIFIED 100% of member-facing staff in branches successfully complete the training. A Virginia Tech study from October 2019, found that BankSafe-trained employees helped stop more than $110 million from being stolen from the accounts of older adults since the program’s inception.
Suncoast Credit Union is proud to announce 100% of their branch and Interactive Teller (ITM) staff have completed the AARP awardwinning BankSafe training program, which trains employees to identify and stop suspected financial exploitation and abuse, particularly among older adults. As a result, Suncoast was one of only 115 financial institutions nationwide to be awarded the BankSafe seal for its efforts. To qualify for the BankSafe seal, a minimum of 80% of employees must pass the BankSafe training. Suncoast surpassed this goal by having
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“AARP’s BankSafe designation and the related training it provides is extremely important to us because it helps protect our most vulnerable members. It is also recognition of our ongoing efforts to continuously train employees to detect financial exploitation and fraud. This is proof of our commitment to keep members and their assets safe.” said Bob Hyde, Vice President of Fraud Risk Management at Suncoast Credit Union. “Our team keeps up with the latest education on fraud prevention because when fraud is committed against anyone, and particularly vulnerable older adults, we all pay a price, and it’s not just financial. The stress and worry it creates for our members and their families is another cost that often goes unmentioned.” On June 15th, Suncoast employees wear purple to support World Elder Abuse Awareness Day! It is important to raise awareness about the millions of older adults who experience elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. We wear purple to promote a better understanding of issues that impact older adults, and to honor seniors and their caregivers.
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Senior Community Partner Updates We love our senior-focused community partners! Each of these organizations provides crucial resources to older adults in the communities they serve. Please check them out to learn more!
SENIORS IN SERVICE TELEPALS PROGRAM Suncoast Credit Union partners with Seniors in Service to provide seniors with resources and a way of connecting with the community. Suncoast Credit Union TelePals program is designed to address the growing problem of seniors in social isolation. TelePals are volunteers who provide friendly conversation to seniors over the phone. Research shows providing connections to socially isolated seniors preserve their mental and physical health and supports aging in place. More than 15 Suncoast team members have volunteered as TelePals! Sign up to receive calls or to learn more about volunteering: (813) 932-5228 https://seniorsinservice.org/telepals/
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AGING SERVICES Hillsborough County Aging Services offers services designed to enhance the lives of older adults, like offering hot meals, active adult programs, and referral or in-home services. Suncoast Credit Union presents financial education to seniors, with subject matter experts bringing awareness to financial scams and exploitations. Suncoast also supports their weekly wellness calls to seniors, providing financial guidance. Throughout the month of April, Suncoast presented weekly money-management presentations in English and Spanish to ensure Hillsborough County’s seniors are well-informed and to celebrate Suncoast Credit Union Financial Health Month! (813) 272-525 AgingServicesCustomerCare@HCFLgov.net
SAGES PLAYS WITH PURPOSE SAGES Theater presents “Plays with Purpose”, highlighting a positive image of aging and featuring senior actors in meaningful leading roles. Their goal is to bring awareness to the community on topics of aging, stimulating discussion, and enhancing access to community theater for all ages. As a sponsor, we invite you to enjoy two of their wonderful performances using these links: • Phoney Baloney: https://sagestheater.org/suncoast-credit-union-pb • Denying Gravity: https://sagestheater.org/suncoast-credit-union-dg 727-536-7076 |
https://sagestheater.org/
MEALS ON WHEELS For people who are homebound, a visit from a Meals on Wheels volunteer delivering a hot, nutritious meal is sometimes the only interactions with others they may have that day. A knock on the door brings hope, health, and joy to the senior community. Check out their website to learn more information or to find help in your local area. https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/
SENIOR CONNECTION CENTER The Senior Connection Center services Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Manatee, and Polk counties as a resource for the 55+ community. They are dedicated to helping people age at home with dignity. Their staff of volunteers and professionals work closely with seniors, their families, and caregivers, and help identify and locate the services seniors need. Our Lead Risk Management Advocate, Donna Moses, regularly speaks with groups about financial exploitation, including an event for the FL Department of Elder Affairs. 1-800-963-5337 https://seniorconnectioncenter.org/
ALL THE ABOVE ORGANIZATIONS WELCOME VOLUNTEERS! If you are interested, please visit their websites or call the number listed for each to connect with them directly.
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