ACAMS ATL Meeting- Elder Abuse

Jay Postma, CAMS, CFCS, President, Erica Harper, CAMS, Director MSB Services, and John Schmarkey, CAMS, CFE, BSA/AML Specialist were pleased to attend the quarterly meeting of the Atlanta ACAMS Chapter on Thursday, August 22, 2019.

Jeanne Canavan, Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney, DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office, Elder Exploitation Unit provided an outstanding presentation. The valuable presentation focused on common schemes for separating vulnerable adults from their resources and the role that financial institutions and their employees can play in protecting the assets of elderly customers.

Biography:  Jeanne Canavan, who has been with the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office for twenty-five years, created one of the first Elder Exploitation Units in the State of Georgia.  Under Ms. Canavan’s leadership, the unit has aggressively prosecuted financial crimes against the elderly.  In 2006 she obtained convictions against a fraudulent telemarketing group which targeted victims in their 80s and 90s around the country.  Since then she has successfully prosecuted “travelers,” home repair fraudsters, professional caregivers, investment advisors and family members who have victimized elder persons and disabled adults.  Ms. Canavan has conducted training for judges, attorneys, social workers, law enforcement and banking personnel around the country.  She also speaks in the community to educate seniors about financial scams.  In 2016 she was honored with the Distinguished Leadership Award from the Georgia Department of Human Services for her work prosecuting crimes targeting vulnerable adults.