WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Financial professionals throughout West Virginia will gather next week to learn about the latest trends in economic crimes and how to prevent them from occurring.

United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld of the Northern District and United States Attorney Will Thompson of the Southern District will host the Mountain State Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-Money Laundering Conference on Tuesday, June 11. Federal prosecutors and agents will make presentations during the day-long event about romance schemes, elder financial abuse, and how drug traffickers and human traffickers launder money.

“Criminals use our nation’s financial systems to move the money generated by their illegal acts,” said United States Attorney Ihlenfeld. “This conference will provide those on the frontlines with the information needed to identify suspicious activity and with guidance on how to respond.”

“West Virginia has one of the nation’s oldest populations per capita and we tend to be trusting and take others at their word. That makes the state a target-rich environment for financial scams,” said United States Attorney Thompson. “This is an excellent opportunity to educate financial professionals so they can recognize fraudulent schemes and financial abuse and help us prevent this form of harm to West Virginians.”

The conference will take place at WesBanco Bank in Wheeling, City National Bank in Charleston, and virtually on WebEx. It is open to all employees of financial institutions subject to the Bank Secrecy Act, including banks, credit unions, casinos, securities dealers, and money service businesses. Registration is required and may be completed by emailing jeana.gattesco@usdoj.gov on or before June 7.