New York State Sen. Chris Jacobs will sponsor two senior scam prevention seminars in the 60th Senate District in the month of December.
The first seminar will take place at the Town of Tonawanda Senior Center, 291 Ensminger Road, Tonawanda, on Thursday, Dec. 6 (1-2:15 p.m.). The second will be held the following week on Friday, Dec. 14, at the Town of Orchard Park Senior Center, 70 Linwood Ave.
"Our senior citizens deserve to be able to enjoy their retirement years free from the fear and abuse of those who would take advantage of them and threaten their financial security," Jacobs said. "This scam prevention seminar provided those in attendance with important tips on how to protect their identity, while educating them on what to do should they fall victim to a scam."
According to the National Council on Aging, financial scams targeting seniors have become so prevalent that they are now considered "the crime of the 21st century." A contributing factor to the rise in these scams is that they are considered low-risk because they so often go unreported, or can be difficult to prosecute. Older adults are frequently targeted because scammers believe they have a significant amount of money sitting in their accounts, and the instances of scams seem to increase during the holiday season when people, particularly seniors, are in a more giving mood.
Along with Jacobs, the seminars are being sponsored by The Better Business Bureau and AT&T. Participation is free and open to the public. Seniors wishing to attend can register by calling Jacobs' office at 716-854-8705 or emailing
[email protected].
