AARP Hosts Maui Fraud Protection Event, April 3
By Wendy Osher
The AARP is hosting a free public workshop on Maui this Thursday in an effort to uncover fraud, and protect retirement security.
The workshop runs from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 3, 2014, at the Kaunoa Senior Center in Pāʻia.
The event is being offered in coordination with co-sponsors the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the State Office of the Securities Commissioner, and the Better Business Bureau, in an effort to protect the state’s older adults from fraud and identity theft.
Event organizers say the workshop will focus on common scams and tactics that scam artists use to “rake in billions of dollars across the country, putting financial security at risk for millions of victims each year.”
According to information detailed by the AARP Hawaiʻi and released in a Javelin Strategy and Research reports on identity fraud, more than $18 billion was stolen from about 13 million victims across the country in 2013, with older adults bilked out of $3 billion each year.
Topics to be covered include the following: gold and foreign currency scams and behaviors that invite fraud; Ponzi schemes and affinity fraud; how to spot and beat scams; and beyond fraud, policy developments that could impact retirement security.
“Scammers ask questions that are meant to trigger emotional responses,” said AARP Hawaiʻi State President Gerry Silva in an agency press release.
“They use fear, greed and urgency to push the ‘right’ buttons and get even smart consumers to open their wallets. AARP is pleased to work with these trusted organizations to help Hawaii residents protect themselves and their families from the latest tricks of the trade,” said Silva.
To register call toll-free 1-877-926-8300 or go online at the following direct LINK.