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Safe Banking for Seniors Campaign

The SDBA is part of the American Bankers Association (ABA) Foundation’s Safe Banking for Seniors campaign. Through this campaign, the SDBA will mobilize bankers across South Dakota to educate older Americans and their caregivers about elder financial abuse and how to prevent it.

“We’ve found that bankers are often the first line of defense against elder financial fraud from educating and advising customers to spotting the signs of abuse,” said SDBA President Karl Adam. “We take our role seriously, and the more we can educate seniors and their caregivers, the better protected they can be.”

“We’re pleased that the SDBA has pledged to join in the fight against elder financial abuse,” said Corey Carlisle, executive director, ABA Foundation. “We look forward to working closely with the association to educate seniors and their caregivers in South Dakota.”

Registered bankers will receive event materials, lesson plans, media outreach tools and best practices through the ABA Foundation. The lesson plans focus on the following four topics:  

  • Identifying and Avoiding Scams
  • Protecting Your Assets by Preventing Identity Theft
  • Choosing a Financial Caregiver
  • Acting as a Responsible Financial Caregiver

Banks can register to participate in the initiative at aba.com/seniors.

Resources for Banks

  • SDCL Chapter 22-46: Abuse, Neglect or Exploitation of Elders or Adults with Disabilities
    SDCL 37-24-57: Report by financial institution of exploitation of elder or adult with disability.
    SDCL 37-24-58: Cooperation of financial institution with investigation of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of elder or adult with disability.

  • If you have a concern that an older adult or disabled adult is being abused or exploited, contact your local law enforcement. 
  • The South Dakota Office of the Attorney General’s Elder Abuse & Financial Exploitation Unit primarily investigates and prosecutes cases involving theft of assets from the elderly in South Dakota. To contact the Unit, call the Office of the Attorney General at 605.773.3215. Or visit the agency's website for a list of common signs of abuse, neglect and financial exploitation. 

  • The South Dakota State Bar Elder Law Committee created a list of warnings signs of possible elder exploitation. View or print the list.

  • Dakota at Home is a free information and referral services provided by the South Dakota Department of Human Services. Contact Dakota at Home at 833.663.9673 or visit dakotaathome.org.

  • The ABA Foundation provides a guide to help bankers combat financial exploitation of seniors. The guide provides an overview of the state of financial exploitation; addresses top scams currently in play; examines what banks can do, including how to report suspected fraud; and outlines the distinct roles of law enforcement agencies and adult protective services and how to partner with them. View the guide.

  • To access the ABA Foundation’s full set of resources for protecting older Americans, visit aba.com/seniors.

BankSafe

AARP’s BankSafe training is an online platform currently available at no cost to banks in the United States. It’s designed to empower financial institution employees with the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to better understand and interact with older customers, identify signs of financial exploitation and take the right steps to protect the assets of older Americans. 

Tailored to meet the unique needs and demands of frontline staff, the platform is an interactive, 60-minute training that employees can complete in one sitting or at their own pace as they choose among more than 25 education and training modules. The course includes games, interactive videos, real-life scenarios and state-specific resources.

As part of the BankSafe program, financial institutions can apply to have AARP verify that at least 80% of their frontline staff successfully passed the BankSafe training and confirm that they have a financial-exploitation escalation or reporting policy. Qualifying banks can apply to receive a seal from AARP, good for one-year, recognizing their commitment to fighting exploitation.

Learn more about the training and sign up at www.aarp.org/banksafe.