Legal Aid of West Virginia (LAWV) and Truist have partnered to bring financial education to West Virginians.

The partnership formed in early 2024, when Truist approached LAWV about their work in financial exploitation, specifically educating elderly and vulnerable West Virginians about risks to their finances, like scams and frauds.

LAWV’s financial exploitation unit currently works under the law to fight financial abuse. Financial exploitation, one of the fastest growing forms of abuse in the nation, occurs when someone steals money from an elderly or vulnerable person, typically by influencing them to give the money directly or indirectly by giving the abuser power through legal documents like a power of attorney.

“Financial exploitation is one of the most under-reported crimes, and community support is vital to its victims,” says Lindsay. “Educating community members helps spread the word about common scams and expose abuse, which makes it easier for victims to seek help.

The financial exploitation unit at LAWV has two attorneys, James Lindsay and Jennifer Singletary, serving all 55 of West Virginia’s counties.

The first event, a Financial Wellness Day, was held in April in Charleston at a housing high rise downtown. Lindsay presented on the topic of financial exploitation and scams targeting the vulnerable and elderly.

Truist volunteers then provided lunch to residents while conducting a game of fraud BINGO. This template is designed to create a fun environment and awarded prizes while sharing crucial information about the prevalence of fraud and scammer tactics.

“Seniors are often targeted for financial exploitation scams, and it’s important to share information to empower them to protect themselves against such abuse,” says Marlo Long, Community Development Manager for Truist.

Finally, the Financial Wellness Day concluded with a chance for Carroll Terrace residents to take home a fully formed will. Volunteer attorneys and staff from Spilman Thomas & Battle and LAWV created free wills and powers of attorney documents for residents on-site at Carroll Terrace.

LAWV and Truist hope to use this event model at events around the state and have scheduled the next Financial Wellness Day for October 4 in Fairmont, WV.