Powers of Attorney: Reviewing, Accepting, Scams & Red Flags

Date:

Jul 29, 2025

Register

How much power does a power of attorney hold?

Is an attorney-in-fact actually an attorney? What documentation must a POA supply? What fiduciary authority is involved? Are there special requirements? What risks are involved? Can you afford to miss this training?

Agenda

Tuesday, July 29th, 2025
90 minutes
11:00 am EDT

Powers of attorney are complex legal documents used daily to transact legitimate business with financial institutions. To further complicate matters, powers of attorney are also being used by fraudsters to gain unauthorized account access. Your institution can be exposed to significant risk if it fails to identify red flags, honors an invalid or fraudulently obtained power of attorney, or handles a specific situation improperly. This webinar will explain what a power of attorney is and the types that exist, when a POA may be used, the red flags your institution needs know, and how to deal with the POA and the attorney-in-fact. It will also cover the steps your institution can take to reduce its risk of loss and liability.

Topics

AFTER THIS WEBINAR YOU’LL BE ABLE TO:

  • Distinguish among the various types of power of attorney (POA) documents (durable, springing, limited, military, etc.) and when they can be used
  • Recognize the fiduciary duty owed by the attorney-in-fact and what actions they can and cannot take
  • Identify the red flags that might indicate the power of attorney is invalid or the attorney-in-fact is exceeding their authority
  • Understand some of the latest scams related to powers of attorney
  • Explain the differences between attorney-in-fact, representative payee, and an authorized or convenience signer on an account
  • Understand the special requirements regarding joint ownership accounts and trust accounts

TAKE-AWAY TOOLKIT:

  • Checklist of important questions to ask before accepting a power of attorney
  • Employee training log
  • Interactive quiz
  • PDF of slides and speaker’s contact info for follow-up questions
  • Attendance certificate provided to self-report CE credits
Speaker(s)

Shelli Clarkston is an attorney with Spencer Fane LLP where she provides financial institutions with proactive legal counsel on regulatory and compliance matters. She received her law degrees from the University of Missouri – Kansas City and her undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. In addition, she has a master’s degree from Doane University.

Before joining Spencer Fane, Shelli was the Risk and Compliance Officer for a financial services technology platform with one of the world’s largest technology companies. She oversaw the platform’s regulatory compliance and handled all risk-related matters. She also has experience as general counsel for a community bank, where she managed all legal, regulatory, compliance, and corporate matters.

Additional Information

Who Should Attend?

This informative session is designed for all deposit operations personnel, including new accounts staff, deposit account officers, tellers, service representatives, attorneys, compliance personnel, auditors, and managers.

Fees

$279.00

Available Upgrades

  • On-Demand $279.00 per person
  • Live Access + On-Demand $379.00 per person
Association Contact

Elizabeth DeHaven
Education Manager
o: 317-387-9380 
d: 317-333-7169
edehaven@indiana.bank