ABA Pandemic Update

Recent data on scams and fraud from the Federal Trade Commission and the FBI is, to no surprise, trending in the wrong direction. But there is confusion around such national reporting, and that is part of the problem. "There is no central figure leading this fight," says ABA's Paul Benda, who describes important challenges to addressing scams and fraud on a national scale on this week's edition of the ABA Fraudcast. ABA offers resources to help banks prevent, identify, measure and report fraud, and to serve and protect consumers and their financial data.​

What does fighting check fraud cost banks? How do banks find success in that struggle? In the latest episode of the ABA Fraudcast, ABA's Paul Benda continues to explore the challenges of a metastasizing problem for banks, with his guest Sam Drennen, EVP and COO of First American Bank and Trust in Georgia. Drennen discusses ways his bank has learned hard lessons defending against criminals focused on a payment mode that has resisted extermination. The  ABA Fraudcast will be published every three weeks on this site, in ABA Daily Newsbytes and wherever you listen to and subscribe to your favorite podcasts. Check out important ABA resources on this topic for banks at aba.com/checkfraud. The recently remodeled ABA Communities provide opportunities to share insights and resources with fellow bankers. 

The big story of check fraud is not only its vast cost to the country and to individual victims, but simply the remarkable rate at which it is increasing. On this episode of the ABA Fraudcast, ABA's Paul Benda discusses with Caitlin Piasecki of the United States Postal Inspection Service the enormous scale and challenge of addressing mail theft, a common venue for criminals to get their hands on paper checks. The ABA Fraudcast will be published every two weeks, on this site, in ABA Daily Newsbytes and wherever you listen to and subscribe to your favorite podcasts.

In a world where artificial intelligence is rapidly advancing from a distant dream technology to an accessible tool of working and consumer life, criminals have certainly noticed. On this episode of the ABA Fraudcast, test your discerning skills at identifying who is real and who is AI. Impersonating the voices of even familiar people to us is rapidly becoming a new type of threat that will be difficult to stop. 

Community banks can be targets of large-scale fraud, just like larger banks. On the inaugural episode of the ABA Fraudcast, former ABA Chair Dan Robb, president and CEO of Jonesburg State Bank in Missouri, describes the recent targeting of his bank by fraudsters who texted thousands of residents of his community, seeking access to customer accounts. What followed for Robb and his team were fast lessons on all the areas his bank was prepared for, and a few challenges that were surprising. “We are no longer dealing with a mom-and-pop criminal,” says ABA's Paul Benda, Fraudcast host. “This is institutional crime.” The brand new ABA Fraudcast will be published every two weeks, on this site, in ABA Daily Newsbytes and wherever you listen to and subscribe to your favorite podcasts.

Stay tuned for a new show from the American Bankers Association. Hosted by cybersecurity and anti-fraud leader Paul Benda, the ABA Fraudcast will bring you expert insights, tools and strategies to help fight fraud every two weeks.

Paul Benda returns with the ABA Pandemic Update after a three week break to account for a spring break family trip to Greece returns. Benda reports they made the trip COVID-free. On this episode, he talks about a recent rise in cases, new BA.2 variants, fourth doses and improved booster shots, the dropping of mask mandates, and what the next few weeks and months may look like.

In the latest episode of the biweekly Pandemic Update podcast, ABA SVP Paul Benda discusses cases plateauing nationally but rising in 15 states, second booster shots and when to get them, virus mutations, some good news on recovered immunity and things to look for in the future.

In the latest episode of the biweekly Pandemic Update podcast, ABA SVP Paul Benda discusses the continued drop of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., the rise in cases in Europe, a new “scariant” Deltacron, vaccines and treatments for children and the news from Asia. Benda also talks about if the country has reached the point where COVID-19 is less deadly than the flu.

In the latest episode of the biweekly Pandemic Update podcast, ABA SVP Paul Benda discusses the continued good news around declining case counts and updated masking guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Benda also talks about Novavax's vaccine, a study from New York on the efficacy of vaccines for children ages 5 to 11, Omicron reinfection protection and multiple new reports on the origins of COVID-19.

In the latest episode of the weekly Pandemic Update podcast, ABA SVP Paul Benda discusses further downward trends of COVID-19 cases, whether BA.2 or the stealth variant is likely to change those trends, omicron hospitalization data for children, good and bad news on the value of recovered immunity, third dose booster waning, the value of fourth doses, and the future of the podcast.

In the latest episode of the weekly Pandemic Update podcast, ABA SVP Paul Benda discusses continuing good news on COVID-19 case counts, omicron variant BA.2 in the U.S., trends in removing restrictions and a potential framework to guide that removal, omicron specific booster data, and what Anthony Fauci, President Biden's top medical adviser for the coronavirus says about the future.

In the latest episode of the weekly Pandemic Update podcast, ABA SVP Paul Benda discusses downward trends and how they compare to the plateaus that are taking place in the U.K. and South Africa, vaccines on the horizon for six-month-olds to 4-year-olds, Israeli fourth dose data and talks about when it's time to start thinking about taking masks off adults and children.

In the latest episode of the weekly Pandemic Update podcast, ABA SVP Paul Benda discusses the continuing downward trends, a new “stealth” variant in the news, an update on children and COVID-19, data comparing throat swabs versus nasal swabs, vaccines and pregnancies and ways to think about living with COVID-19.

In the latest episode of the weekly Pandemic Update podcast, ABA SVP Paul Benda discusses the glimmers of hope from last week that have turned into solid downward case count trends in some states. Benda also talks about some good news on long COVID-19, new government programs distributing test kits and masks, an OSHA update, early fourth dose data from Israel, and some potential future challenges.

ABA SVP Paul Benda provides an update about the current “unprecedented” case loads of COVID-19 in the 38th episode of the weekly ABA Pandemic Update podcast. Benda discusses glimmers of hope from Washington D.C., New York City and the United Kingdom, updates on hospitalizations and severity, timeline for vaccines for 2-to-4 year olds, fourth doses and a potential universal COVID-19 vaccine, and what the next month may look like.

ABA SVP Paul Benda provides an update about the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the 37th episode of the weekly ABA Pandemic Update podcast. Benda discusses the incredible increase in cases, severity estimates, how vaccines are holding up and boosters for teenagers. Benda also talks about some bright spots for the immunocompromised, and where we go from here.

In the latest episode of the ABA Pandemic Update, Paul Benda focuses on the incredible growth of the omicron variant, what it's doing at home and abroad, how vaccines and other treatments such monoclonal antibodies are holding up, when to use a hard-to-get rapid antigen test, the status of vaccines for 2-5-year-olds and considerations for holiday travel and gatherings.

In the 35th episode of the weekly ABA Pandemic Update podcast, ABA SVP Paul Benda provides an update about the Omicron variant of COVID-19. He discusses current case counts, tracking the Omicron variant, how severe it is and if vaccines will continue to protect us. Benda also talks about early antibody neutralization studies that give an idea about how well vaccines will hold up and if the Pfizer vaccine or Moderna vaccine is better.

In the latest episode of the weekly ABA Pandemic Update podcast, ABA SVP Paul Benda provides an update about the Omicron variant of COVID-19, what is it, what does it mean, what can we do about it and how worried should we be. He also discusses booster shots and a potential timeline for Omicron variant specific booster shots.

In the latest episode of the weekly ABA Pandemic Update podcast, ABA SVP Paul Benda provides an update on continued rise in cases and about booster shot effectiveness, how long they last and how available they are. He also discusses how therapeutics may to the end of the pandemic and a new use case for mRNA vaccines.

In the latest episode of the weekly ABA Pandemic Update podcast, ABA SVP Paul Benda discusses bad news on rising case counts, new data on contagiousness of the Delta variant of COVID-19, vaccination protection timelines, vaccine booster shot and treatment news and an update on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's emergency temporary standard.

In the latest episode of the weekly Pandemic Update podcast, ABA SVP Paul Benda discusses new data on recovered immunity, vaccines for children and a new study on Ivermectin. Benda also talks with ABA SVP Jonathan Thessin about the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's emergency temporary standard that will require all employers with 100 or more employees to be fully vaccinated or test weekly for COVID-19.

ABA SVP Paul Benda discusses the FDA review of children vaccines, booster shot data, predictions for the future and the factors that will affect it such as recovered immunity durability. He also talks about the new Delta plus variant and what to know about other “scariants.”

On the latest episode of the ABA Pandemic Update podcast, ABA SVP Paul Benda discusses a recent visit to Universal Studios, current case trends, booster approvals, timelines and mixing and matching, and what does it mean to live with COVID.

On the latest episode of the ABA Pandemic Update podcast, ABA SVP Paul Benda discusses our declining cases, examines how they correspond to other countries' Delta variant wave as well as the 1918 flu pandemic, compares recovered immunity and vaccinated immunity, looks at booster schedules for Moderna, Johnson and Johnson (as well as approval for children's vaccines) and touches on vaccine mandates and religious exemptions.

ABA SVP Paul Benda discusses the continued downward trend in COVID cases and what the fancy models predict, provides an update on vaccines for kids, discusses boosters (and mixing and matching vaccines), reviews a new report on surface contamination, and evaluates where we stand on OSHA's emergency temporary standards and whether most banks considered federal contractors for purposes of the Biden administration's vaccine and testing mandate.

ABA SVP Paul Benda discusses a slight downturn in COVID cases, Pfizer data from its vaccine trial for kids, the risk of myocarditis from vaccines, booster shots for Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson and some good news on "long COVID."

ABA SVP Paul Benda discusses coronavirus case rates in kids, drivers for infection and when their vaccine may be available; the value and efficacy of home tests; the pending availability of booster shots; and a quick review of the Biden COVID-19 "action plan."

Recorded slightly later in the week to account for Labor Day-related reporting delays, ABA SVP Paul Benda discusses the plateau seen in national COVID-19 case counts (and the case decline in several states that saw Delta variant surges), examines the rise in the proportion of cases that are due to children getting infected and does a deep dive into ivermectin in response to listener questions.

ABA SVP Paul Benda discusses potential vaccine booster shot plans, risk and benefit calculations for vaccinating 5-12-year-olds, an unmasked teacher in California who gave the virus to half of her students, testing trends and just what is going on with Ivermectin.

ABA SVP Paul Benda discusses how COVID-19 case count growths are slowing, looks at Israel's skyrocketing case count and why it may not be a good analog to the U.S., discusses what full FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine means, examines some of the items OSHA is looking at and considers just how long does that N95 mask you have actually lasts.

Paul Benda welcomes you to ABA's twentieth episode of the weekly Pandemic Update podcast. Once again, it's all about the Delta variant, which now likely makes up 99% of US cases. This week, Benda discusses current and potential future trends, hospitalization rates—including children—and shares some exciting news about booster shots. He also parses some data on vaccine effectiveness from Israel and newly released CDC studies, and discusses updated OSHA recommendations.

Paul Benda welcomes you to ABA's twentieth episode of the weekly Pandemic Update podcast. Again, not much good news to report this week. Benda discusses the continued spread of Delta and the potential to ration care in some states. He introduces some data on masks and mask recommendations for kids, a new journal article proving COVID is airborne, and a potential timeline for full FDA approval of the vaccine and what it might mean for off-label use. To round it out, he provides some not so good news on the effectiveness of recovered immunity in comparison to vaccine immunity.

In this episode of the ABA Pandemic Update, Paul Benda breaks down the science behind the Delta variants' hyper-infectious nature. It's all Delta all the time and things keep getting worse and likely to get worse before it gets better. He reviews vaccine effectiveness with Delta, the breakthrough Provincetown cluster, and how to mitigate your risk of getting infected.

On the latest ABA Pandemic Update, Paul Benda does not have much good news to report. He discusses the Delta surge, vaccine effectiveness and safety, new CDC mask guidance, an unwelcome delay on the COVID vaccine for those 12 and under, and he tries to figure out how bad things will get before they get better.

In this episode of the ABA Pandemic Update, ABA SVP Paul Benda discusses the Delta variant and some ways parents can think about the risk it poses to their kids who can't be vaccinated, examines a poll about common misconceptions regarding the effectiveness of different mitigating actions like hand-washing, looks at the FDA announcement about their review of the Pfizer vaccine for full licensure and talks travel trends and what it means for the future.

ABA SVP Paul Benda returns with a Pandemic Update after a brief hiatus, and unfortunately things have changed substantially in the last two weeks. Today it's all about the delta variant. Benda talks about how and why cases are trending upward, shares some good news on recovered immunity, examines what schools may look like in the fall, and touches on the need for booster doses.

ABA SVP Paul Benda discusses getting a booster shot if you've had Johnson and Johnson vaccine, delta variant-driven increases in cases in the central part of the country, how delta has affected the U.K. and Israel, a Kaiser Family Foundation survey about businesses and vaccines, the real risk from vaccine-induced myocarditis and a new paper that provides hope that most of the population may not need any booster shots.

ABA SVP Paul Benda covers the Delta variant of COVID-19 and its impact on younger populations, reviews vaccine effectiveness, looks at computer models and where they think we'll be this fall, reviews a new study on how well vaccines work on those with cancer and examines how birthday parties may have contributed to the spread of COVID.

ABA's Paul Benda discusses about some new vaccine data from Novavax, the effect the Delta variant is having on the UK and how it's spreading in the U.S., the FDA meeting regarding vaccinations for kids, whether vaccines causing heart inflammation and some updates on the legality of vaccine mandates and OSHA's emergency temporary standard.

ABA SVP Paul Benda talks about the race to get 70% of the population vaccinated, reviews recovered immunity and what it might mean for the summer and fall, discusses some concerning data around the COVID-19 delta variant that originated in India, and look at the CDC study around hospitalized adolescents that concerned CDC Director Rochelle Walensky.

ABA SVP Paul Benda discusses the WHO naming convention of new COVID-19 variants, the impact one of those variants is having on the United Kingdom and what it means for the U.S., metrics that may determine when we get booster shots, new summer camp guidance from the CDC, EEOC update on rules surrounding workers and vaccinations and a brief update on regulators' back-to-work plans.

ABA SVP Paul Benda reviews vaccination progress and case counts, takes a detailed look at vaccine effectiveness against the primary strain circulating in India, gives an update on Moderna's plans, reviews a new article on durability of recovered immunity, shares some good news and bad news for pregnant women, revisits the theory on COVID escaping from a Wuhan lab, and examines how the pandemic may evolve and end.

ABA SVP Paul Benda covers the updated CDC guidance on masks and what it means for banks and discusses the latest vaccination and infection rates. He also provides a brief but worrying comparison of infection rates of the current pandemic with the 1918 pandemic, reviews some vaccine effectiveness data, talks about booster shots and reviews some of the history around the aerosolization debate.

ABA SVP Paul Benda examines progress on vaccinations, an update on Pfizer's availability for teens (including a look at how these vaccines work and whether he'd get one for his own child), good news on current case counts, where we may be this summer and what our long-term outlook may look like. 

ABA SVP Paul Benda provides an update on the vaccination rollout, takes a look at new CDC infection estimates and what it means for herd immunity, shares a round-up on vaccine news and when the Pfizer shots will be available for kids and teens, discusses whether herd immunity is even achievable, and examines OSHA's latest moves.

ABA's Paul Benda provides an update on India and some of the help the U.S. plans to provide, talks about the Johnson and Johnson vaccine after the FDA decision, discusses breakthrough infections in a Kentucky nursing home and why there's some good news there, goes through an MIT paper on uselessness of social distancing indoors and examines vaccine passports. 

ABA's Paul Benda provides the latest on COVID-19 cases and vaccination rates, noting that the vaccination of older Americans has reduced COVID deaths even as cases have risen in certain parts of the country. He also discusses a new coronavirus variant, the likelihood of resuming doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine soon and how to minimize risk of infection during air travel.  

ABA's Paul Benda provides an update on vaccination rates, a review of the recent issues surrounding the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines and blood clots and a closer look at the usefulness of portable HEPA filters. Paul also interviews ABA's Jonathan Thessin on the rules around requiring vaccines for employees, tracking their status and providing sick leave.

ABA's Paul Benda focuses on the spread of the coronavirus and especially how the B117, or U.K. variant, may be affecting cases, especially among children. He also discusses some of the other variants of concern, a comparison between U.S. case curves and Israel, some updated data on vaccines and new guidance from the CDC on cleaning.