Free webinar for kūpuna to learn how to outsmart cyber crime

A free webinar about how to “outsmart cyber crime” will be available for Maui County kūpuna on Wednesday, June 15 as part of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

The 10 a.m. webinar is sponsored by the Hawai’i Department of Health Executive Office on Aging and AARP Hawai’i.

To register for the online event, visit the AARP Hawai’i events site or website.

Elder financial abuse and exploitation deprive older Americans of an estimated $2.6 billion or more annually. In 2021, the FBI reported that the elderly in Hawai’i lost $1.8 million to romance scams, $2.3 million to tech support scams and $1.6 million to investment scams. Elder abuse also leads to health care and legal costs.

During the webinar, participants will learn about the top 10 cybercrimes in Hawai’i; see real life examples of criminal cases; and get tips and tools on how to sport and avoid scams. 

“Don’t let these criminals take your hard earned money,” AARP Hawai’i said about the webinar. “You can fight fraud.”

The webinar speakers:

• Andrew Maddock: He is a Lieutenant with the Honolulu Police Department, where he investigates cyber crimes and is a computer forensic examiner. Andrew has investigated hundreds of computer crime cases and extracts digital evidence from devices for other investigators including the Homicide and Sex Crimes details. Outside of HPD, Andrew is a computer programmer and writes and develops his own software.

• Scott Spallina: He joined the Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office in 1995 and created the Elder Abuse Unit in 2008. Since that time, this unit has handled thousands of criminal cases where the victims are 60 years of age or older. Scott has been awarded “Top Cop” by the Law Enforcement and Security Association and regularly teaches elder abuse at the Oʻahu Police Academy. Before going to law school, Scott was a private investigator specializing in white collar offenses.

The Maui County Office on Aging encourages everyone to wear purple on Wednesday to show support for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Supporters can also take the #WEADD615 Challenge and show how they can prevent elder abuse.

World Elder Abuse Day was launched on June 15, 2006, by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations. The event aims to provide an opportunity for communities around the world to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect.

For more information about the webinar or to learn more about programs and services provided through the Maui County Office on Aging, call 808-270-7774 or visit www.mauicountyadrc.org.