State Legislators Host AARP Senior Fraud Prevention Forum

CHESHIRE – Representatives Lezlye Zupkus (R-89) and Al Adinolfi (R-103), and Senator Joe Markley (R-16) hosted a fraud prevention forum at the Cheshire Senior Center to help seniors learn how to avoid being victims of fraud and scams. During the forum, guest speakers from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) presented The Con-Artist’s Playbook, a Deep Look into the Mind of Scam Artists. Probate Judge Matt Jaloweic was also in attendance and spoke to guests.

“With scammers becoming more advanced, anyone can fall victim to fraud at any time,” said Rep. Zupkus.  “Forums like these provide the public with information regarding the common tactics of scammers and what consumers can do to protect themselves.  It is important to remain vigilant, and know the precautions to take to ensure that your personal information remains safe. I’d like to thank the Cheshire Senior Center for their continued support of our seniors and ensuring that they remain informed through programs such as this fraud prevention forum, as well as Judge Jaloweic, for his support. I urge anyone who has concerns about a potential scam to contact the CT Department of Consumer Protection and take a look at the resources available at www.ct.gov/dcp.”

“Hours before the presentation about fraud and scams I received a phone call from the IRS saying that I owed them money; fortunately I followed the instructions that AARP gave during their presentation, and hung up the phone. However, millions of Americans are not as fortunate as me and have become victims of identity theft.  We need to continue to work with great organizations like AARP and our community leaders to make sure we are doing everything we can to prevent residents from becoming  victims of identity theft,” said Rep. Adinolfi.

Many seniors offered their own anecdotes about how they or people they know have been victims of fraud.  They also discussed the importance of using credit cards instead of debit cards in order to minimize the risk of becoming a fraud victim.

“”This forum was a great opportunity to educate and interact with concerned seniors in Cheshire,” said Sen. Markley. “We were able to pass on some useful information on how people can protect themselves from the criminals who prey on the elderly.”

The Con-Artist’s Playbook presents an inside look at how scammers think and can help enable persons to protect themselves and their families against identity theft and fraud. This program was developed based on hundreds of undercover fraud tapes and hours of interviews with victims and con artists. It demonstrates common strategies scammers use and provides tools for use in defense of common con-artist tricks.  Guests attending the event received a free copy.                                                                                    ###