SOMERSET, Ky. (June 4, 2012) — More than 45 Somerset area seniors learned how to recognize and avoid investment fraud at a Senior Scam Jam seminar last week.
The Senior Scam Jam is designed to raise awareness about the techniques con artists use, so seniors can recognize the tactics and protect themselves from fraud. During the first half of the program, participants chose two of three workshops covering mail fraud (presented by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service), insurance fraud (presented by the Department of Insurance) and loan fraud (presented by the Department of Financial Institutions, or DFI). In the afternoon, the entire group heard presentations covering investment fraud (DFI and AARP) and identity theft (Kentucky Attorney General’s Office and the Better Business Bureau). All participants received free handouts and materials, including a contact sheet so seniors would know who to call with questions.
“Since 2003, statistics show that Americans lose an estimated $300-600 billion each year to fraud,” said DFI Commissioner Charles Vice. “We hope to prevent future scams from taking place by helping seniors identify red flags and find out where to get help.”
Participants learned to recognize these common “red flags” of fraud:
- Special guarantees
- Promises of no risk with high rewards/returns
- Offers for a “limited time” only
- Offers for YOU only
- Pressure by the salesperson to give an immediate response
- “Cash only” accepted
- Promises to get you the paperwork “later”
- The company or a representative cannot be reached if you have questions
- The offer sounds too good to be true
The following are some steps seniors learned to take to avoid falling victim to fraud:
- Take your time
- Do your homework before signing any contract or paperwork
- Read the fine print
- Check out the source
- Be skeptical of unsolicited calls
- Have a plan to get off the phone
- Have a “buddy,” someone to help get you out of a situation where you feel pressured
- Don’t trust testimonials
“Educating consumers about today’s frauds and scams is the best prevention,” said Bill Harned, AARP Executive Council volunteer.
Before investing, check with DFI, Kentucky’s state securities regulator, to verify if the investment opportunity is registered and if the seller is licensed. Call 800-223-2579 or visit http://kfi.ky.gov/public/Pages/invest.aspx.
The Senior Scam Jam is funded by a grant from the Investor Protection Trust (IPT). The IPT is a nonprofit organization devoted to investor education. Since 1993 the IPT has worked with the states to provide the independent, objective investor education needed by all Americans to make informed investment decisions. www.investorprotection.org.
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