Subject:

A letter from your shareholders encouraging M&T Bank to train Human Crime Specialists

As shareholders of M&T Bank and leaders in the movement to combat human exploitation, we are writing to encourage M&T Bank to join the growing movement in the financial industry that are training trust and safety professionals in The Knoble's Human Crime Specialist (HCS) program. Given M&T Bank’s position as a global financial leader, your institution has a unique opportunity to set the definitive industry standard by adopting The Knoble's Human Crime Specialist (HCS) program.

The HCS program represents a fundamental change from reactive compliance to proactive disruption of crimes against humans, providing strategic training for human crime detection in the financial sector. We invite M&T Bank to commit to this industry-wide transformation by integrating the five key domains of the HCS framework through their program:

1. Human Crime & Risk Management Knowledge: Elevating institutional maturity to recognize the sophisticated behavioral patterns of criminal enterprises.
2. Organizational Program & Policy Development: Designing frameworks that move beyond traditional BSA/AML to embed human crime disruption into the corporate DNA.
3. Program Execution Across Detection, Disruption, and Response: Implementing control categories that transform the financial system into an active barrier against exploitation.
4. Industry Engagement and Alignment: Leading collaborative networks to overcome the structural challenges that criminal networks exploit.
5. Community and Customer Engagement: Strengthening partnerships with law enforcement and victim support organizations to safeguard vulnerable populations.

Learn more: https://theknoble.com/human-crime-specialist-program

M&T Bank’s adoption of this framework would signal that ethical responsibility and financial excellence are inextricably linked. By developing a workforce of Human Crime Specialists, M&T Bank would demonstrate transformational leadership, joining an industry-wide movement led by Truist Bank, Fifth Third Bank, Customers Bank, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Ally Financial, and First Citizens Bank that protects global communities and strengthens the integrity of the entire financial infrastructure.

We believe this commitment aligns perfectly with M&T Bank’s long-term strategic goals, reducing reputational risk while demonstrating the courage to act as a shield for the vulnerable. We encourage you to embrace this opportunity to turn M&T Bank’s network into a force for unprecedented human protection.

Sincerely,

‍

The Eagle Freedom Alliance is the voice of the counter–human trafficking movement to the public markets. While effective, scalable solutions exist, public companies and investors often lack trusted ways to identify what works and engage responsibly. The Alliance bridges that gap by elevating proven solutions, amplifying leadership, and encouraging adoption through the voice of investors.