More than 225 seniors learn valuable tools to combat fraudulent acts
Oceanside, CA — On Friday, Assemblywoman Laurie Davies hosted a Senior Scam Stopper workshop in Oceanside to address and provide resources about the growing threat of scams targeting older Californians.
The event featured presentations from local leaders including, San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan, offering seniors practical guidance on how to avoid the most common scams.
“Scammers think seniors are easy prey. Not on my watch,” said Assemblywoman Davies. “We’re giving people the knowledge to fight back and protect what they’ve worked their whole lives for.”
The County Assessor, Recorder and County Clerk, Jordan Marks discussed property scams including title theft that is frequently aired on television.
A common senior computer scam was blasted over the loudspeaker and instructions on how to not be scammed were taught and delivered to participants by a former tech squad employee.
Law enforcement officials from the FBI and Oceanside Police Department gave presentations on common scams and who to contact when scams happen. They asked the senior audience to report all scams even after the scam has happened.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reported that Americans over 60 lost over $4.8 billion to scams in 2024 — a 43% increase from the previous year. The average loss per senior victim was $83,000.
Attendees received information on how to spot red flags, report scams and what to do if they believe they’ve been targeted. Assemblywoman Davies continues to prioritize public safety and works to ensure members of the community have the resources they need to stay safe.
“If you do get a call or an email saying something is wrong with your bank account, utility bill or a credit card, hang up and call the bank, utility or credit card company to verify and never give any personal or financial information over the phone.” said Davies.
Some of the common elder fraud schemes include:
- Tech support scam: Criminals pose as technology support representatives and offer to fix non-existent computer issues. The scammers gain remote access to victims’ devices and sensitive information and charge a fee.
- Romance: Criminals pose as interested romantic partners on social media or dating websites to capitalize on their elderly victims’ desire to find companions.
- Grandparent scam: A type of confidence scam where criminals pose as a relative—usually a child or grandchild—claiming to be in financial distress.
- Government impersonation scam: Criminals pose as government employees and threaten to arrest or prosecute victims unless they agree to provide funds or other payments.
- Sweepstakes/charity/lottery scam: Criminals claim to work for legitimate charitable organizations to gain victims’ trust. Or they claim their targets have won a foreign lottery or sweepstakes, which they can collect for a “fee.”
- Home repair scam: Criminals appear in person and charge homeowners in advance for home improvement services that are never provided.
Many individuals that are duped do not report the incident, which makes it harder to stop these scams. Seniors who sense a scam or have been tricked into giving money to a person or entity they realize is a fraud, should immediately contact their local police department and report it.
Read the Original Article: https://www.thevistapress.com/assemblywoman-laurie-davies-hosts-senior-scam-stopper-summit-in-oceanside/