MEMPHIS, Tenn.—A local resident says the community is shaken by Monday’s kidnapping of a CU employee and robbery of the branch where she works.
Monday the 8082 Rockcreek Cove office of FAA Credit Union here was robbed. An elderly woman was kidnapped at home and forced to travel to the credit union to obtain funds for the crooks.
According to the Memphis Police Department, the victim was forced to drive her car to the credit union and then let the two men into the branch, according to Fox 13. There the two men allegedly robbed the CU and fled with an undisclosed amount of money in a bag, scattering money across the floor as they left.
The robbers left the victim unharmed at the scene, according to Action News 5.
Reports have varied on what took place Monday. Police had not released additional details in response to inquiries from CUToday.info.
"It's just very scary," Cordova resident Elijah Choy told Fox 6. "You hear about this stuff happening other places, so when you hear about it locally, it makes you want to be more aware of your surroundings."
Monday’s incident marks the third time in the last four months that credit union employees have allegedly been kidnapped in their own homes as part a robbery attempt. Unlike previous attempts this year, this time police say the robbers did get the money.
As CUToday.info reported earlier, in late February, Matthew Yussman, CFO at Achieve Financial Credit Union in New Britain, Conn., was allegedly confronted at his home by two robbers who held him and his mother hostage overnight, then attached what he was told was a bomb vest to his chest and told him to drive to the credit union and retrieve cash in what ultimately was an unsuccessful robbery attempt. Three men are being sought in the case. Details on that story can be found here.
Two months later, Mark Ziegler CEO at Oak Ridge, Tenn.-based Y-12 CU, was kidnapped. Authorities reported that Ziegler and his family were held hostage in their home as part of an alleged attempted robbery and extortion plot engineered by two men and a woman. The crooks were not successful in getting money from Y-12. Details on that story can be found here.
In the FAA robbery, the two suspects are still at large.
Following the Y-12 incident, the local FBI issued a warning to all bank and credit union employees in the area to use caution and follow all security measures before, during and after the workday.
The warning is in line with concerns CUToday.info first reported regarding criminals increasingly targeting FI executives in their homes as a means of extorting money. The earlier interview with an expert from CUNA Mutual on this security issue can be found here.
When contacted by CUToday.info, the Memphis office of the FBI said they have joined the investigation, but would not comment further.