Member Protection Initiative Provides AI-Driven Scam Shield
- Roy Urrico
- Mar 4
- 3 min read
By Roy Urrico
The New York-based Charm Security, developer of the Agentic Workforce for scam, fraud and cybercrime prevention and resolution, and Des Moines, Iowa-based Curql Collective, a group of more than 160 U.S. credit unions, announced the launch of the National Member Protection Initiative (NMPI) – described as “a first-of-its-kind industry effort designed to bring AI directly into how credit unions protect their members from scams and fraud.”
Launched during the FTC's National Consumer Protection Week (March 1-7, 2026), NMPI combines technology, education, and collaboration to address scams as a growing consumer threat issue. Participating credit unions will adopt Charm’s AI agents to help protect members from scams and fraud, and offer proactive, member education efforts around emerging scams.
“Credit unions are on the front lines of protecting people. The NMPI brings AI into the highest-risk moments, where it matters most — helping credit unions understand human context, intervene earlier, and protect members before financial and emotional damage occurs,” Roy Zur, co-founder and CEO of Charm Security told Finopotamus. He emphasized, “For credit unions, this means moving beyond detection toward real prevention and resolution, strengthening member trust while reducing losses and operational strain.”
“Scams are one of the fastest-growing threats facing credit union members, and the industry can't afford to stand still,” said Nick Evens, president and CEO of Curql Collective. “The NMPI puts credit unions in the driver's seat, brings them early access to AI capabilities, fosters collaboration, and sets a higher bar for what member protection should look like in the digital age.”
No Longer Transactional
Fraud is no longer just a transactional problem - it has become a human-centric attack that exploits trust, urgency, and emotion, according to Charm Security. A 2025 Iris State of Scams report that found nearly 7 in 10 Americans targeted by scams, resulting in an estimated $64 billion in losses, provide evidence of the necessity for new approaches to member protection, maintained Charm.
Through NMPI, participating credit unions will collaborate with peers and gain hands-on exposure to leverage Charm Security's Agentic AI workforce, empowering them with real-world evaluation of how AI-driven approaches can strengthen member protection, reduce loss, and preserve trust. The initiative reflects a broader shift across financial institutions, moving beyond detection toward AI-driven prevention, intervention, and resolution, suggested Charmed Security.
Five credit unions are participating in the inaugural cohort: Plano-Texas based InTouch Credit Union ($818 million, 71.5 thousand members), Brighton, Mich.-based Lake Trust Credit Union ($2.8 billion; 179.5 thousand members), Indianapolis-based Elements Financial ($2.5 billion, 99,000 members), Oak Ridge, Tenn.-based ORNL Federal Credit Union ($4.7 billion, 226,000 members), and Onalaska, Wis.-based Altra Federal Credit Union, ($3.05 billion, 158.3 thousand members).
Charm’s AI Agents
Charm’s AI Agents combine the expertise of fraud professionals and behavioral scientists, powered by its proprietary HVE™ AI Model for Human Vulnerabilities and Exploit Techniques.
Charm works alongside fraud and financial crime teams with its Fraud Investigation Agent that supports fraud analysts and investigators by connecting signals across alerts, cases, and customer interactions; interpreting human intent and behavioral psychology; and guiding faster, higher-confidence decisions across prevention, investigation, and resolution; Fraud Frontline Agent, an AI fraud advisor working alongside member-facing teams and channels; and
Fraud Intelligence Agent, an adversary-facing AI agent that operates beyond the organization’s perimeter, engaging scam and fraud infrastructure, impersonators, mule networks, and attacker assets to collect intelligence, uncover patterns, disrupt operations, and continuously enrich institutional defenses.
Charm’s Agentic AI Workforce for prevention, intervention and resolution consists of:
Investigation and triage. AI-powered investigation that connects signals across existing tools and workflows, surfaces critical context, summarizes cases in seconds, and guides the next best action with confidence.
Human context and guidance. Psychology-driven intelligence powered by Charm’s HVE model, analyzing intent, deception, and manipulation in real time - delivering precise insights and guidance to support effective interaction and intervention.
Resolution and reporting. End-to-end case documentation, clear decision rationale, and executive-ready insights that drive continuous improvement, accountability, and learning.
What Credit Union’s Said About NMPI
“Protecting our members from scams and fraud is a critical part of how we serve our communities,” said Kent Lugrand, president/CEO of InTouch Credit Union. “By joining the National Member Protection Initiative led by Charm Security, we're working alongside other credit unions to safeguard member information and financial well-being.”
“Lake Trust is committed to layered, innovative fraud prevention strategies, and we look forward to collaborating through NMPI to further strengthen how we protect our members, assets, and reputation,” Diana Romsek, assistant vice president, loss mitigation and risk management at Lake Trust Credit Union, added.
“As scams continue to grow more sophisticated, Altra is focused on understanding new ways to support and protect our members. Participating in this initiative gives us an opportunity to learn, collaborate, and evaluate potential approaches to member protection,” Crystal Clark, fraud department manager, Altra Federal Credit Union, shared.
