THE EDCOMM GROUP'S DR. LINDA EAGLE APPEARS ON CN8’S MONEY MATTERS TODAY DISCUSSING BANK COMPLIANCE WITH ELDER FINANCIAL ABUSE

(NEW YORK, NY) – May 14, 2006

Dr. Linda Eagle, President of The Edcomm Group and noted expert on elder financial abuse and banking compliance, was featured on CN8’s Money Matters Today. The segment focused on financial scams and schemes perpetrated on the elderly, and aired on May 9, 2006 at 8:00 p.m. (EST).

Elder financial abuse is defined as the illegal taking, misuse or concealment of funds, property, or assets of vulnerable elders, either without their consent or with consent obtained by trickery, intimidation, or force. Elder financial abuse can involve anything from a telemarketer's solicitation on behalf of a fake charity, to a family member's misuse of Power of Attorney.

Dr. Eagle stressed the important role the banking industry plays in the detection and prevention of elder financial abuse. Noting that “18 states currently mandate that banks report suspected elder financial abuse — and a federal law is pending,” she emphasized the significance of bank personnel being the front line in identifying and reporting elder financial abuse.

According to Dr. Eagle, “Statistics show that 1 in 5 cases of financial identity theft are perpetrated by members of the victim’s own family, explaining why elderly customers may naturally be reluctant to reveal that they’re a victim of elder financial abuse.”

“Training on elder financial abuse empowers the bank to protect their customers, and reduces risk to the bank. When an elderly customer comes into the bank accompanied by someone who won’t let the elder speak for themselves, it’s up to bank personnel to intercede on behalf of their customer. Banks should be suspicious of changes in account activity, including large transactions, or sudden changes in account cosigners or Powers of Attorney,” says Dr. Eagle.

Joining Dr. Eagle on the panel were Sid Kirchheimer, AARP’s “Scam Alert” expert, and Charles Clarkson, the coordinator of the New Jersey Healthcare Advocate Effort.

The Edcomm Group has been a driving force in the campaign to educate bank personnel about elder financial abuse. Edcomm’s course, Focus on Elder Financial Abuse, is designed to help banks cope with the new laws targeting elder financial abuse by teaching front line staff about how to best serve their elderly customers while reducing risk to the bank.

Dr. Eagle is frequently invited to speak on a range of topics including distance learning, adult education, compliance training, teller training, ethics training, technological advances in training and education, and business solutions. Her educational background in psychology and communications and her experience in organizational consulting give her unique insight into the practical application of training and communication programs. Dr. Eagle has provided consulting and training services to hundreds of organizations in a variety of industries. Published in many national publications including USA Today, American Banker, Forbes, MSNBC and the Washington Post, Dr. Eagle has been widely quoted as an Associated Press (AP) expert and has appeared on several local and national radio and television news programs.

CN8, Comcast's award-winning 24-hour cable network, airs in 7.1 million homes throughout the northeast and mid-Atlantic. CN8 has been widely recognized for its quality regional programming, and has been nominated for 208 Emmy awards since its inception in 1996. Money Matters Today, hosted by CN8’s Director of Business and Consumer News Mary Caraccioli, is a half-hour interactive show geared towards solving everyday money challenges faced by everyday people.

The Edcomm Group is a 19-year-old multimedia education and communication consulting firm specializing in the development of creative business solutions that improve productivity, customer service and market share — providing bottom-line results. The Edcomm Group (www.edcomm.com) (www.bankersacademy.com) is headquartered in New York City with an Advanced Design Center located in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Linda Eagle
President, The Edcomm Group
1-888-4EDCOMM
linda.eagle@edcomm.com