Arrowhead Credit Union teaches fraud prevention at Cerritos senior fair

Arrowhead Credit Union held fraud and scam prevention sessions at Congresswoman Linda Sánchez’s 20th Annual Senior Fair at Cerritos College on Aug. 12. The event comes as older adults continue to face rising financial losses from fraud, according to an IC3 report cited by the credit union.

Why it matters: - Older adults remain a major target for fraud and scam tactics, with the 2025 Internet Crime Complaint Center report cited in the release showing more than 201,000 victims ages 60+ reported losses of more than $7.7 billion. - The average loss for victims 60 and older exceeded $38,000, and more than 12,000 elderly victims lost over $100,000. - Community-based fraud education can help seniors spot scams earlier and reduce the chance of financial loss.

What happened: - Arrowhead Credit Union took part in Congresswoman Linda Sánchez’s 20th Annual Senior Fair at Cerritos College on Wednesday, Aug. 12. - The credit union hosted three classroom sessions on fraud and scam prevention. - Community Impact Financial Coaches Courtney Thompson and Veronica Balderas led the presentations. - The sessions focused on how fraud and scams can affect people in everyday life, especially older adults.

The details: - The presentations explained the difference between fraud and scams. - Thompson and Balderas walked attendees through phishing tactics to watch for online and over the phone. - The sessions covered common schemes, including scammers posing as a bank, a family member in trouble, text-message scams and romance scams. - The presenters also shared tips on ID protections, digital banking tools and general online safety. - During the Q&A, attendees shared personal experiences and responded actively to the presentation. - An attendee named Mario said people should take fraud seriously and educate themselves on how to prevent it. - The fair also included free health screenings, Medicare help, Social Security assistance, veterans benefits, other government programs and booths with local food and housing resources. - Participating organizations included AARP, the Department of Financial Protection & Innovation and the Social Security Administration. - About 900 people attended the fair.

Between the lines: - The event gave Arrowhead Credit Union a direct way to reach seniors in a setting built around practical support, not just financial education. - The release positions fraud prevention as a community issue, not only a banking issue, by linking financial safety with health, benefits and social-service access. - Thompson said the credit union wants people to feel confident asking questions, researching suspicious activity and speaking up before fraud happens. - Balderas said the goal was to leave attendees feeling less alone and more empowered to report suspected fraud.

What's next: - Arrowhead Credit Union says fraud prevention resources are available at fraud prevention resources. - More information about Arrowhead Credit Union is available at Arrowhead Credit Union. - The Senior Fair continues to grow every year, suggesting the audience for this kind of outreach may keep expanding. - Arrowhead Credit Union, founded in 1949, says it serves more than 200,000 members and has $2.9 billion in assets.

The bottom line: - As scams become more costly for older adults, credit union-led education is becoming a practical first line of defense.