“We needed to educate banks about the extent of this fraud and laws allowing banks to report to APS,” he said.

PCA Protective Services’ “fraud program” was established in 2003, when a partnership with Wachovia Bank was established to train bank employees to detect and report abuse and exploitation. Later, Wachovia led a project team that created a “fraud prevention tool kit,” which serves as a model for the banking industry.

 “We created a centralized investigation group to work with APS, to prevent abuse and exploitation,” said Linda Mill, Wachovia’s senior vice president for deposit risk operations.

Sovereign Bank was enlisted to receive training to help tellers and branch managers spot potential elder abuse. “Citizens Bank also works closely with us,” said Snyder.

Bank employees are also made aware of “potential signs of elder abuse, physical and emotional abuse, and self-neglect,” said Mill. “Through working with Joe and the team, we learned that emotional and physical abuse can be a precursor to financial abuse.”

“We assist in any way we can to help the customers, whether they are being fleeced of money or being abused,” said Mike Cullen, Sovereign Bank’s fraud investigator. “In the past, unless a person complained, there wasn’t too much we could do. Now, because of state and federal laws, we can report suspicious behavior or activity.”

• Be suspicious of anyone asking you to deposit a check into your account, promising that a bonus is awaiting. As is often said, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

• Do not give personal information to anyone, Snyder cautions, unless you are certain it is for a legitimate cause. This includes data about bank accounts and credit cards.

• If told you have won a lottery, he says, “it is not normal to be asked for money for taxes up front. When this happens, it’s a scam.”

• “Check your bank account daily,” Snyder adds. If you see something unusual, call the bank manager.

Elders are often targets of identity theft. This means someone has stolen a credit card number, social security number or some other form of identification, and used it to open an account or commit fraud in your name.

“Reviewing your bank statement is critical,” said Mill. “Don’t just throw away bank statements or bankbooks. Shred or tear them up and put the shreds into multiple trash bags.”

 “Read all your mail,” Mill advises. “Even your junk mail could contain a bank or credit card account you didn’t open. This might indicate that your identity has been stolen.”

 Cullen said a “whole underground economy” thrives on stolen identities. Convenience checks, provided to bank customers, should be kept in a safe place, or discarded. These can be used by the thief.

Invest in a shredder, Cullen suggests. “Dumpster

“Monitor your credit frequently,” said Mill. “The faster you know about a problem, the faster you can fix it.”

You can get an annual credit report free from www.annualcreditreport.com or 1-877-322-8228. Also from Experian Group, 888-397-3742; TransUnion, 877-322-8228, or EquiFax, 800-685-1111. And you can sign up for monthly credit monitoring though various companies for a modest fee.

Be careful with online banking, said Mill. The bank can assure you of secure sites, but be sure the computer you’re using is secure, with anti-virus and anti-spyware programs. With proper precautions, she noted, “online banking is actually safer than writing a check.”

Never give information to anyone who calls your home or sends an e-mail saying the bank needs to update information, said Mill; the person calling is most likely a “crook.” The bank, she said, “never sends requests to our customers for such information.