Bank of America rolls out nationwide “Scaminars” to help older adults spot fraud using AI and in-person workshops

Bank of America is stepping up its push against financial scams targeting older adults with a nationwide education initiative it calls “Scaminars,” a program the bank says will feature 1,000 in-person events scheduled across the United States through 2026. The bank’s effort is aimed at helping seniors recognize common scam tactics and avoid fraud, using seminars delivered directly in communities rather than relying only on digital outreach.

The announcement, reported by Yahoo Finance, frames the Scaminars rollout as part of a broader strategy to combat fraud and improve safeguards for customers who may be more vulnerable to impersonation and other high-pressure schemes. While the bank is publicizing the education campaign widely, it did not provide in the reported summary any details about the curriculum beyond the goal of scam awareness and prevention.

Alongside the seminar program, Bank of America says it will use artificial intelligence in its fraud work. In general terms, artificial intelligence refers to computer systems that can detect patterns and anomalies in data, which banks can apply to spot suspicious transactions or account behavior. The report links the use of AI to the bank’s goal of identifying fraud earlier, but it does not specify which AI models or systems are involved, nor how their performance is measured.

The Scaminars plan includes 1,000 in-person events, which suggests the bank is prioritizing reach and repetition over a smaller number of large gatherings. However, Bank of America did not disclose in the reported summary how the events are distributed by region, how frequently individual communities will receive programming, or what partnerships, such as senior centers or local nonprofits, may be involved in delivery.

Bank of America’s focus comes as elder fraud remains a persistent problem in the US financial system. Scam campaigns often combine social engineering, impersonation of government or financial institutions, and urgent requests for money, making education a critical component of prevention. In that context, a large in-person program can serve as both instruction and reinforcement, giving older adults a channel to ask questions and learn how scams commonly work.

Still, the bank’s disclosures in the reported summary are limited on operational specifics. It does not break out expected attendance per session, whether the seminars are targeted to particular account types or customer segments, or whether the program is accompanied by changes to customer alerts, account controls, or dispute processes. It also does not describe how the AI fraud efforts coordinate with the educational message, such as whether customers who attend receive additional protections or whether the bank uses seminar attendance to refine outreach.

For markets and customers, the immediate watch item is whether Bank of America ties the Scaminars rollout to measurable outcomes, such as reductions in confirmed elder fraud cases, changes in scam-related losses, or improved customer engagement with protective guidance. Another point to monitor is whether the bank expands the program beyond 2026 if early results justify it, and whether it publishes any transparency around how AI systems affect detection rates or false positives.