ST. MARYS, W.Va. (WTAP) — A scam attempt at Willow Island Federal Credit Union on Tuesday was quickly stopped, thanks to swift action by staff and local law enforcement. Authorities confirmed that no member accounts were compromised during the incident.
The Pleasants County Sheriff’s Department responded after the credit union alerted them to suspicious activity involving a man attempting to scam the institution.
The suspect, identified as Alford Nickson of Columbus, Ohio, reportedly entered the credit union trying to fraudulently withdraw funds. Staff were already on high alert due to a previous scam incident involving a different, still-unidentified man who successfully exploited the shared branching network—a service that allows credit union members to access banking services across different institutions.
Nickson allegedly used a false ID in a similar attempt on June 3, prompting immediate police response. He was arrested on charges of fraudulent schemes and impersonation, and is currently being held at North Central Regional Jail awaiting pre-trial proceedings.
Sheriff’s investigators say the method used in the attempted scam is not isolated to Pleasants County or even West Virginia. “This scam extends across state lines,” said a department spokesperson. The U.S. Attorney General has been contacted, and the case may be handed over to the FBI for further investigation.
The CEO of Willow Island Federal Credit Union assured the public that all member accounts remain safe and secure, and the attempted scam was prevented in time.
