Canton Co-op employees save customer from scam

Three Canton Co-operative Bank employees — teller Janet Sykes, Operations Manager Mary Bocash and Branch Manager April McKee — recently banded together to prevent a bank customer from becoming the victim of a fraud.

L-R: April McKee, Janet Sykes and Mary Bocash

“Janet is the hero here,” Bocash said. “She has really good instincts. So when she heard a customer say they were withdrawing a very large amount of money in cash for a reason Janet immediately recognized as the well-known ‘Grandparent Scam,’ she knew she had to do something quickly.”

“When Janet Sykes asked me and Mary Bocash to speak to this customer, every red flag was there,” McKee said. “It was immediately clear that this individual was upset and wanting to withdraw the money immediately so they could go send it off. Luckily, since this was a long-time customer — someone who knew all of us — they were willing to take a few minutes and listen to our concerns for them.”

According to Canton Co-operative Bank President & CEO Nick Maffeo, “If you ask Janet Sykes, she would say she was just doing her job and that’s what we’re here for. While that’s technically true, Janet Sykes, Mary Bocash and April McKee went above and beyond in this situation and they were glad to have the opportunity to save a customer from suffering a substantial loss. We are very fortunate to have truly caring and concerned individuals like them here at Canton Co-operative Bank.”

In the “Grandparent Scam,” a con artist poses as family member — most commonly a grandchild — in trouble, and asks for money to be sent by wire transfer or gift card. The best way to protect yourself? Be aware of the “Grandparent Scam” and be ready to reach out to other family members or the police before sending money in a panic.

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Posted by Canton Citizen on Aug 9 2019. Filed under News. Both comments and pings are currently closed.