Fraud is no longer something that happens somewhere else. It is happening here, in our small towns, in our communities, and to people we know.
Last year alone, Americans reported losing more than $16.6 billion to fraud, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. Nearly 860,000 internet crime complaints were filed nationwide, and the Federal Trade Commission received more than 2.6 million fraud reports.
Behind those numbers are real people. Seniors who have worked a lifetime to build financial security. Families trying to make ends meet. Neighbors who never imagined they would fall victim to a scam. Even our young people are being targeted, often caught off guard as they learn how to manage money in an increasingly digital world.
As a credit union serving rural Kansas, we see firsthand how sophisticated these scams have become. Scammers send convincing text messages about unpaid tolls or suspicious bank activity. They impersonate law enforcement or government agencies. They pressure victims to act immediately, often demanding payment through gift cards, wire transfers, or increasingly, Bitcoin and cryptocurrency kiosks.
Scammers rely on urgency and fear. They want you to act before you have time to think. And once money is sent — especially through cryptocurrency — it is often impossible to recover.
Rural communities are not immune. In fact, the trust that defines small towns can sometimes make us more vulnerable. We answer the phone. We respond when someone says there is a problem. We want to do the right thing.
That is why education is so important.
If you receive an unexpected call, text, or email demanding payment, pause. Legitimate businesses and government agencies will not pressure you to pay immediately using unusual methods. Do not click on suspicious links. Do not share online banking login information. And if something feels off, trust your instincts and contact your financial institution directly.
At Heartland Credit Union, we are proud to support the Fight the Fraud initiative to raise awareness about the warning signs of scams and provide practical tools to protect Kansans. It is about protecting our members, our neighbors, and our communities.
Awareness is our strongest defense. The more we talk about scams, the harder it becomes for criminals to succeed.
I encourage every Kansan to learn more about common scams and how to avoid them. Visit FightTheFraudKS.com for resources, tips, and information you can share with family and friends.
Together, we can stop the scammers before they do more harm.
— Darren Werth,
AVP of community and government affairs for
Heartland Credit Union