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V O L . X X I X N O. X X V I I N OV E M B E R 2 7 , 2 0 2 3 22 B A N K I N G / F I N A N C E / I N S U R A N C E While M&T has an internal fraud department, Maine Regional President Phil Cohen stresses that vigilance begins with on-the-ground staff in branches. ough Cohen writes few checks himself, he remembers waiting as a child outside a department store while his parents wrote checks at the register and expects check use to keep trailing off as other options multiply including Venmo and Apple Pay. "It's been fascinating to see how the technology side of the industry has evolved," he says. The view from trade groups Like banks, credit unions are seeing an uptick in fraud cases, which are harder to detect for checks from out of state, according to Robert Caverly, vice president of advocacy and outreach at the Maine Credit Union League. "National check fraud is usually facilitated by an organized crime group and typically involves the creation of counterfeit checks," he says. "In a small state like Maine, it might be easy to spot the name of a fake local financial institution or even catch a misspelling or outdated logo, but when the checks appear to be coming out of state, identifying fraudulent checks becomes much harder." At the same time, Mainers still frequent credit union branches, where staff know their faces and signatures. "is helps add an additional layer of personal protection," he says. Along similar lines at the Maine Bankers Association, President and CEO Jim Roche points Leave your mark on the world. Make an impression before your clients even walk in the door. Welch Sign is Maine's premiere full-service sign vendor. Start your design at welchsign.com. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E F O C U S F I L E P H O T O / J I M N E U G E R Maine Bankers Association President and CEO Jim Roche

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