CFPB Gives Banks Pointers on Preventing Elder Abuse

American Banker
Wednesday, March 23, 2016

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has issued an advisory and a separate report  for banks and credit unions on best practices to prevent and respond to elder abuse. Estimates of annual losses range from $2.9 billion to $36.48 billion. The bureau is encouraging financial institutions to use fraud detection technology and to train employees to detect and respond to suspicious activity. It suggests using "age-friendly" account features to curb the illegal or improper use of a senior's funds. Among the recommendations are opt-in limits on cash withdrawals, alerts for specific account activity and view-only access for authorized third parties.