DR. LINDA EAGLE OF THE EDCOMM GROUP INTERVIEWED ON “THE EXCHANGE” ON WHAT RADIO DISCUSSING ELDER FINANCIAL ABUSE AND BANK COMPLIANCE

NEW YORK, NY June 29, 2006

Dr. Linda Eagle, President of The Edcomm Group, was interviewed on WHAT 1340 AM radio’s “The Exchange” with Elmer Smith, Wednesday June 28, 2006 at 2pm (EST). Dr. Eagle addressed the growing concerns of elder financial abuse, what role the banking industry plays in protecting elderly customers, and how banks can ensure their compliance with the law.

Said Dr. Eagle, “I was not surprised when Elmer said the boards were lit up with calls. Elder financial abuse touches everyone, and everyone has a story and a question. The call from the Center City teller who didn’t know what to do when an 88-year-old customer asked to withdraw $55,000 in cash from an account that hadn’t been touched in three years reinforced for us all how vital Elder Financial Abuse training is for front-line bankers.”

With more than 5 million cases per year, financial abuse of elders is the number one crime committed against persons age 65 and older. Currently, 17 states and Washington, D.C. have passed laws that require bank personnel to report suspected cases of elder financial abuse. Another 33 states recommend it. At the federal level, substantive revision to the Elder Justice Act is in discussion and is expected to pass this year.

Sadly, approximately 84% of elder abuse cases go unreported. The upsurge in elder financial abuse has become a major concern for banks and other financial service companies, resulting in the growing need for platform, teller, sales and customer service representatives who are trained to recognize and report such abuse.

The Edcomm Group has been a driving force in the campaign to teach 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.

Focus on Elder Financial Abuse is a comprehensive eLearning program providing training on issues related to elder financial abuse. The course covers: defining elder financial abuse and the laws governing it, detecting the red flags of elder financial abuse, and reporting elder financial abuse properly. Focus on Elder Financial Abuse teaches employees in all bank departments how to identify elder abuse and how to protect both their customers and the bank, with accurate, compliant reporting.

“The Exchange” hosted by Elmer Smith on WHAT 1340 AM is the voice of the African American community in Philadelphia, PA. Mr. Smith is a noted editorial columnist, member of the Philadelphia Daily News editorial board and former adjunct professor of journalism at Temple University’s School of Communications.

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. Linda’s 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 that provide measurable benefits. She has provided consulting and training services to hundreds of organizations in a variety of industries. Published in many national publications including Forbes, USA Today and American Banker, Linda has also appeared on numerous local and national radio and television news programs.

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:

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