News

• ABA Banking Journal: ABA Foundation testifies on protecting older Americans from financial exploitation
• ABA Banking Journal: ABA comment letter writing guide
• ABA Banking Journal: Beyond the swipe: Surfing the waves of change in the debit industry
• CISA News: Hacking Reputation

SDBA Updates

• SDBA Foundation Member Bank Scholarships
• Order your 2026 South Dakota Bank Directory

SDBA Events

• 2026 South Dakota Fraud Forum
• 2026 Fraud Academy
• Graduate School of Banking: AI Innovation Series

Online Education

• Additional Educational Opportunities

Compliance Alliance

• Question of the Week

ABA Banking Journal: ABA Foundation testifies on protecting older Americans from financial exploitation

During a Senate hearing today, the American Bankers Association Foundation outlined the critical role banks play in protecting older Americans from fraud and financial exploitation while calling for strengthened national coordination, expanded financial literacy efforts and clear federal authority for banks to intervene when exploitation is expected.

The Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing on financial education tools to help prevent fraud. In prepared remarks, Sam Kunjukunju, vice president for consumer engagement at the ABA Foundation, explained that banks are uniquely positioned to help older customers recognize and avoid scams due to their trusted, long-standing relationships and daily interactions with consumers.

Still, banks can’t fight fraud alone, he said.

“While the banking industry is investing significantly in protecting older people, the scale and sophistication of today’s scams require a strategic and coordinated national response,” Kunjukunju said. “America needs a nationwide public education campaign that brings together federal agencies, nonprofits, and the private sector to deliver a unified, consistent message.”

Legislative tools

A national effort to fight fraud must be grounded in a broader commitment to lifelong financial literacy, and it should align with key life milestones, including entering the workforce, managing credit, starting a family, purchasing a home and planning for retirement, Kunjukunju said.

He also called on Congress to consider legislation that would provide banks with clear authority and safe harbor protections to delay or hold transactions when elder financial exploitation is suspected to help safeguard older Americans at moments of heightened vulnerability.

“Through sustained investments in education, training, cross-sector partnerships, and responsible innovation, we continue to strengthen the frontline defenses to combat elder financial exploitation,” Kunjukunju said. “But as our population ages and financial crimes grow more sophisticated, these efforts must be accompanied by a policy framework capable of meeting the moment.”

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ABA Banking Journal: ABA comment letter writing guide

Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins by Entities Subject to the Jurisdiction of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

OCC Proposal to Implement the GENIUS Act

ABA urges bankers to comment in response to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to implement the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act. The proposal would establish supervisory standards for permitted payment stablecoin issuers (PPSIs), including rules governing reserves, redemption, operational safeguards, and other requirements.

Why Public Comments Are Important

The OCC has asked more than 200 detailed questions and opened a public comment period to gather feedback from banks, consumer advocates, technology experts, and the broader public. This input will help determine whether the final rules strike the right balance between consumer protection, financial stability, and innovation. This rulemaking is particularly important as it will create the rules of the road for new market entrants as well as bank subsidiaries issuing payment stablecoins, and as such will determine whether or not different types of entities compete on a level playing field. Banks need to make sure their voices are heard and considered.

Although ABA is writing a letter that will provide feedback gathered from members, it is critical that the agencies also receive direct feedback from banks, especially feedback that provides concrete examples of how the proposed rule would impact a bank and the communities it serves.  

Your letter does not need to be long. Even a brief comment explaining how the proposal could affect consumers, bank deposits, or community lending can be valuable.

Comment deadline: May 1, 2026 (ABA has requested a 60-day extension and will update the deadline if OCC approves it; however, commenters should proceed on the basis that letters must be received on or before Friday, May 1.)

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ABA Banking Journal: Beyond the swipe: Surfing the waves of change in the debit industry

Consumer preferences, emerging technology and merchant incentives have altered the debit market.

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CISA News: Hacking Reputation

It’s possible to anticipate damaging false narratives before they go viral—and make your business smarter and more resilient in the process.

March 26, 2026 | Austin Rathe & Preston Golson

Companies caught in the storm of false or misleading online narratives often say they never saw it coming. In reality, many reputational attacks are foreseeable. You cannot predict the precise moment they ignite, yet you can anticipate the pressure points that make your organization vulnerable.

Leading organizations do this by borrowing a technique from the intelligence world: Red Teaming. The idea is simple. Before an adversary tests your weaknesses, test them yourself. In cybersecurity, this logic is already well established. Organizations routinely commission penetration or “pen” tests to probe their own defenses. Red Teaming applies the same discipline in defense of an organization’s reputation that ethical hacking brings to its cybersecurity.

Think Like the Opposition

Red Teaming took shape during the Cold War. US “Blue” teams tried to anticipate Soviet decisions by role-playing the “Red” side. The CIA later described the exercise as freeing analysts from the “prison of a well-developed mindset.” The discipline forced them to see the world through another actor’s eyes and to stress test their own assumptions.

A strong Red Team looks at your organization the way the outside world does. It is one reason the best teams sit at arm’s length. Internal groups rarely ask the most uncomfortable questions about their own behavior or imagine how routine decisions might read as evasive or self-interested.

The goal is not to catalog every stray allegation. It is to understand the conditions that make a false narrative plausible. Misinformation rarely succeeds on its own. It often taps into existing distrust, political polarization or social tension. A capable Red Team studies those underlying forces and the risks they create.

One insight from Brunswick’s Net Defender research underscores why this work matters. The difference between the people most likely to defend a company and those most inclined to attack it is often only about 1%. In such a narrow space, even small vulnerabilities can tip an audience from neutral to hostile. Anticipating the narratives most likely to resonate with skeptical groups can determine whether the next wave of misinformation finds traction or fizzles out.

Human judgment remains essential, yet AI now helps map how misleading claims can mutate and spread. Together they allow teams to model reputational threats with more range and speed than traditional scenario planning.

Not every scenario warrants attention. But the most damaging ones do, and they share two traits: They sound credible to the people who matter most to your business and they have clear potential to spread beyond small online communities.

Why the Work Pays Off

As it spots vulnerabilities, a well-run Red Team also strengthens the organization’s ability to respond. Once leaders understand how a narrative could form, they can act to prevent it.

Companies can, for instance, develop stories that inoculate audiences against predictable falsehoods and test how those messages land—a practice known as “prebunking” (see Misinformation Inoculation). They can also identify outside voices who carry credible weight and plan how to engage them. They can sharpen monitoring systems so early signs of a narrative do not go unnoticed. And they can strengthen the company’s digital “immune system” by ensuring its content is easy for both search engines and AI systems to interpret accurately.

In that respect, the most effective responses to misinformation all share a similar trait: They start long before misinformation emerges.

Full Article

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SDBA Foundation Member Bank Scholarships

The South Dakota Bankers Foundation is once again offering Member Bank Scholarships — and this is your opportunity to support a student who’s interested in a career in banking or financial services.

Award Details

• Your bank may award up to $4,000 (you can split it among multiple students).
• Funds are sent directly to the student’s school.
• Eligible students include South Dakota college sophomores, juniors, seniors, graduate students, and second-year technical college students planning a career in banking.
• Priority is given to first-time applicants.

Know a strong candidate? Select your recipient and submit the scholarship request form by June 30, 2026.

This is a great way to connect with future talent, strengthen your community, and showcase the opportunities our industry provides.

Questions? Reach out to SDBA's Foundation Executive Director, Halley Lee, for assistance.

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Order your 2026 South Dakota Bank Directory

The South Dakota Bank Directory provides detailed information on all South Dakota banks including addresses, telephone numbers, important contact names and additional pertinent information. The directory also contains information on the SDBA, banking associations, regulatory agencies, endorsed vendors, associate members and South Dakota officials.

Order the 2026 SD Bank Directory

All member branches and endorsed vendors receive one complimentary copy. Associate members also receive a complimentary copy once they pay their 2026 dues. 

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2026 South Dakota Fraud Forum

May 14 | 9:00am-3:00pm CDT | Sioux Falls

Join us at the upcoming UMACHA Fraud Forum, hosted by UMACHA, for an in-person information-sharing event designed specifically for banking professionals. This interactive forum brings together local law enforcement, guest speakers, and your industry peers for meaningful discussion around fraud awareness, prevention, and response.

Takeaways

• Practical insights into current financial crimes impacting institutions across South Dakota
• Real-world strategies to strengthen your fraud mitigation efforts
• Valuable connections with professionals facing the same challenges

Details & Registration

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2026 Fraud Academy

August 18-20, 2026 | Lexington, KY | Virtual

Fraud Academy is a “first of its kind” school designed to equip bankers at all levels with the tools to detect, prevent, and mitigate fraud. Led by experts from the U.S. Secret Service, law enforcement, and fraud prevention specialist, this intensive, banker centric program covers 18+ fraud risk areas, including check fraud, elder fraud, cybercrime, and prevention strategies.

Every bank in our industry is losing money and time from fraud and this school will educate your employees on how to reduce those losses. Participants can register to attend either in person or virtually, and registration option will be available once you create an account and log in. We will be covering over eighteen (18) areas of fraud including check fraud, elder fraud, cybercrimes and fraud prevention tools. Space is limited so register today to ensure that you do not miss out on this great opportunity!

Register Today!

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Graduate School of Banking: AI Innovation Series

June 8-12, 2026 | Virtual

• Dates: June 8 – 12 | one 2-hour session each day
• Format: 100% Virtual
• Tuition: One price of $2,495 covers everyone at your bank
• Flexibility: All sessions are recorded and available for playback for 3 months, allowing your team to revisit technical demos as they implement new tools.

Online Education

Participating in learning opportunities outside the bank can be challenging. Take advantage of the SDBA's extensive selection of webinars and on-demand training to enhance your banking expertise directly from your computer.

GSB Online Seminars
OnCourse Learning
SBS Institute
ABA Training

Question of the Week

Q: Can a lender order an appraisal prior to receiving intent to proceed under Reg Z? Is it a regulatory violation if a lender orders one without having received intent to proceed? When can we first charge for an appraisal?

A: Reg Z does not expressly prohibit the actual ordering of an appraisal prior to receiving intent to proceed. However, without intent to proceed, the Bank runs the risk of not being able to charge the customer for the appraisal. Reg Z does not permit the Bank to impose most fees in connection with the transaction before the consumer has provided the intent to proceed. Once the bank has received intent to proceed, it may impose the appraisal fee. Some Banks choose not to order any appraisal prior to receiving intent to proceed because if the intent to proceed is never provided, the Bank cannot charge for it. So, this is not necessarily a regulatory error unless you attempt to charge for it without receiving intent to proceed.

Learn how to put compliance management solutions from Compliance Alliance to work for your bank, by contacting (888) 353-3933 or [email protected] and ask for our Membership Team. For timely compliance updates, subscribe to Bankers Alliance’s email newsletters.