Hike the Hill Advocacy Leads to Fraud Prevention Collaboration

A conversation that began during Cornerstone League’s Hike the Hill is now helping drive fraud-prevention efforts in Texas’ 1st Congressional District.

On Aug. 18, financial institutions from the district were invited to tour the Federal Crimes Intelligence Center in Tyler, Texas, followed by a discussion on financial fraud with Rep. Nathaniel Moran. Red River Employees FCU and TEXAR FCU represented the credit union movement during the visit.

The invitation grew out of a Hike the Hill meeting with Moran, where credit union advocates discussed financial fraud, particularly fraud targeting older adults. April Mobley, Cornerstone’s Texas grassroots and PAC director, attended the meeting on behalf of the Texas Credit Union Association.

During the meeting, Education Credit Union CEO Marcus Smith shared how his Amarillo-based credit union has been hosting financial fraud seminars for older adults in the community. Moran and his team are now working with Smith and Education Credit Union to learn how the seminars were structured.

That collaboration is expected to lead to three community fraud-prevention events in Texas’ 1st Congressional District before the end of the year.

“This is why advocacy matters: it builds relationships, drives action, and helps protect the communities credit unions serve,” Mobley said.

The effort demonstrates how conversations with lawmakers can continue well beyond Hike the Hill, creating opportunities for credit unions to share expertise and help shape solutions that benefit their communities.