Lose a few million dollars on a wire transfer to Toledo, Ohio, and procedures are in place to get it back in many instances. But when that transfer is to Kiev, kiss the money goodbye.

"Unlike domestic fraud, losses from international fraud are nearly impossible to recover," said Robert Coyan, senior vice president of Corporate One Federal Credit Union in Columbus, Ohio, which received NCUA approval earlier this year to merge with Southeast Corporate Federal Credit Union in Tallahassee, Fla.

"Much of the international fraud that credit unions encounter occurs in countries where the local law enforcement authority is either unable, or in some cases unwilling, to detect and deter the fraud, or to prosecute the offenders," Coyan said.