The Rancho Viejo Police Department in coordination with the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI and a local financial institution will hold a presentation dealing with frauds and scams.
The presentation, via Zoom, will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 23.
“As many of you may already know the numbers in victims of fraud and scams continue to rise around the country which has attributed to large monetary losses,” a media release on the presentation states.
The presentation will provide the public with information on how to detect, prevent and protect from these frauds and scams.
According to the FBI, millions of elderly Americans fall victim to some type of financial fraud or confidence scheme, including romance, lottery and sweepstake scams. The federal agency says criminals will gain their targets’ trust and many communicate with them via computer, phone and the mail.
“Seniors are often targeted because they tend to be trusting and polite. They also usually have financial savings, own a home, have good credit, all of which make them attractive,” the FBI states in an Elder Fraud Report.
The FBI states you can protect yourself by taking the following precautions:
>>Recognize scam attempts and end all communication with the perpetrator
>>Search online for the contact information (name, email, phone number, addresses) and the proposed offer. Other people have likely posted information online about individuals and businesses trying to run scams
>>Resist the pressure to act quickly. Scammers create a sense of urgency to produce fear and lure victims into immediate action. Call the police immediately if you feel there is a danger to yourself or a loved one
>>Be cautious of unsolicited phone calls, mailings, and door-to-door services offers
>>Never give or send any personally identifiable information, money, jewelry, gift cards, checks, or wire information to unverified people or businesses
>>Make sure all computer anti-virus and security software and malware protections are up to date. Use reputable anti-virus software and firewalls
>>Disconnect from the internet and shut down your device if you see a pop-up message or locked screen. Pop-ups are regularly used by perpetrators to spread malicious software. Enable pop-up blockers to avoid accidentally clicking on a pop-up
>>Be careful what you download. Never open an email attachment from someone you don’t know, and be wary of email attachments forwarded to you
>>Take precautions to protect your identity if a criminal gains access to your device or account. Immediately contact your financial institutions to place protections on your accounts, and monitor your accounts and personal information for suspicious activity
The agency said seniors are racking up more than $3 billion in losses annually and that elder fraud is likely to be a growing problem.
Interested parties can join the Oct. 23, Zoom Meeting at the following address:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89005471068. The meeting ID number is: 89005471068. The meeting can also be joined by telephone at (346) 248-7799 and using the following meeting ID number: 89005471068.
