THE EDCOMM GROUP’S DR. LINDA EAGLE SPEAKS AT VIRGINIA TRIAD STATE CONFERENCE ADDRESSING ELDER FINANCIAL ABUSE

(NEW YORK, NY) – October 20, 2006

Dr. Linda Eagle, President of The Edcomm Group, was the keynote speaker at the Virginia TRIAD State Conference. Sharing the stage with Robert McDonnell, Attorney General of Virginia, Dr. Eagle addressed the increase in elder financial abuse, what role the financial services industry plays in protecting elderly customers, and how banks, credit unions and money services businesses can ensure their compliance with the new laws.

The event, held at the Waterside Marriott, was sponsored by the Virginia TRIAD — a group comprised of three founding organizations: AARP, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA). Attendees of the conference included TRIAD law enforcement officials and senior business leaders from across the state of Virginia.

As Attorney General McDonnell noted, “It’s critical that the banks be involved in the fight against elder financial abuse.” In her speech entitled “Elder Financial Abuse — A Wakeup Call to the Banking Community,” Dr. Eagle discussed the upsurge in elder financial abuse, the status of state and federal laws protecting seniors, and the responsibility of banks and other financial service companies to recognize and report such abuse.

Said Dr. Eagle, “The Edcomm Group has been a driving force in the campaign to teach the public and bank personnel about elder financial abuse. Edcomm’s course, Focus on Elder Financial Abuse, is designed to help banks, credit unions and money services businesses 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 company. I’m very honored to be a part of this Conference, and to have the opportunity to bring information regarding this important topic directly to the law enforcement and senior communities.”

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 employees of banks, credit unions and money service businesses to report suspected cases of elder financial abuse. Another 33 states recommend it. Congress is expected to pass the Elder Justice Act of 2006, which will make this federal law.

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 state laws governing it, detecting the red flags of elder financial abuse, and reporting elder financial abuse properly. Focus on Elder Financial Abuse is geared towards teaching participants how to identify elder abuse and how to protect both their customers and the bank, with accurate, compliant reporting.

Learning Link®, Edcomm’s full-featured learning management system has an open architecture that builds on industry-standard SCORM and AICC compliance, but adds features and capabilities far beyond any competing products. Learning Link® maintains a complete record of every learning and administrative activity and offers a wide variety of customizable, real-time reports available both onscreen and in CSV formats for download and integration into any HR system. Learning Link’s servers have been issued a SAS-70 attesting to the quality of their security, business continuity and performance.

The TRIAD concept was originated in 1988 when the AARP, IACP, and NSA agreed to establish a partnership to arm senior citizens with the information they need to keep from being victimized by criminals. The first TRIAD partnership in the country was established in 1989 at St. Martin Parish, Louisiana. TRIAD was brought to Virginia in 1995 by Attorney General Jim Gilmore, who established a state TRIAD coordinating section in his office. TRIAD seeks to build partnerships between senior citizens and law enforcement to share information on how seniors can avoid becoming victims of crime, and enhance the safety and quality of their lives. In communities where TRIAD is actively informing seniors about frauds and scams, law enforcement agencies report a drop in the amount of these crimes being committed.

Dr. Eagle is frequently invited to speak on a range of topics including distance learning, adult education, compliance training, teller training, systems 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 also appeared on several local and national radio and television news programs.

The Edcomm Group has had the privilege of assisting many distinguished clients with business solutions in the form of eLearning programs, classroom instruction, multimedia production and online and print based documentation. In addition to the development of customized programs, The Edcomm Group offers many off-the-shelf courses such as Teller Training, Compliance Training and Systems Training specifically designed for banks, credit unions and money services businesses that have proven themselves effective in organizations around the world.

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