Pocono News Section

Smart Tips from Senior Fraud Seminar

Smart Tips from Senior Fraud Seminar - Tuesday, April 6, 2010 at 04:10AM EST

Reported by: Jeremy Deebel
Tuesday April 06 2010
Scammers and con-artists often prey on the people they consider most vulnerable - the elderly. But in Lycoming County tuesday, a group of seniors learned some ways to fight back.

Albright Life Marketing Director Tracy Haas explained, "It seems like these scammers are always coming up with something new, and unfortunately, I think it's hard for some of these folks to stay on top of it."

That's why the staff at Albright Life, an independent living center for local seniors, decided to bring in a secret weapon. She is Joyce O'Brien, a community liaison from the state Attorney General's office. She specializes in helping seniors avoid the scammers and con-artists who prey on them.

Here's an example. O'Brien noted, "Someone may call you and say, 'This is the XYZ bank calling and we have a discrepancy in your account and we need to verify some information.' Hang up the phone, call the bank yourself, and ask if someone (from the bank) just called."

O'Brien says a good rule of thumb is to never give out any information over the phone unless you initiated the call. Legitimate banks and credit card agencies will not call and ask for your private information.

O'Brien also educated seniors here on home improvement scams and sweepstakes rip-offs, among others.

Seniors who attended the seminar say they left feeling much better equipped to deal with the cons and scams that so often target them. Jean Hostrander of Linden, said, "I thought it was very informative. I learned a lot of new things about these different scams. I'm very glad I came today."

Joyce O'Brien further cautions people not to rush into any type of financial decisions. She concluded with a simple piece of worthwhile advice she hopes everyone will take to heart. "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is," she said.

For more information on all the scams covered at tuesday's seminar, call the state Attorney General's office at 1-866-623-2137 or visit them online at www. attorneygeneral. gov .