Credit unions instinctively want to help members affected byhurricanesand other natural disasters, but few expect or prepare forincreased fraud attempts that may follow.

Just ask executives at the Harahan, La.-based ASI Federal CreditUnion, which was slammed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. To helpaffected members, the credit union, which today has $313 million inassets and 56,000 members, raised its offline ATM limits. Shortlyafter, nearly 10,000 of the credit union's 80,000 members overdrew their accounts by almost $4 million. Though manymembers later corrected their shortages, some, then-CEO AudreyCerise said at the time, “just sat in front of the ATM, playingthem like slot machines” with no intention of replacing thefunds.

Or ask Issa Stephan, president/CEO of the Freehold, N.J.-basedFirst Financial Federal Credit Union, whose members enduredflooding and other damage after Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The creditunion offered a variety of accommodations to members, includingpayment plans, advances, and even food and clothing. But becauseits systems were hobbled after the storm, one person was able towithdraw $70,000 on a home equity line that was actually alreadyclosed.