AARP Hawai‘i to host holiday scam prevention Telephone Town Hall on Dec. 13

From porch pirates to bogus shopping websites to fake charities, scammers often take advantage of holiday cheer to steal money.

AARP Hawaiʻi is urging residents to stay alert and learn how to recognize holiday scams. The organization will host a Telephone Town Hall on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 9 a.m., to share the latest fraud trends and answer questions from the public.

Featured speakers include Mana Moriarty, executive director of the Hawaiʻi Office of Consumer Protection and Jeannie Yukimoto from Hawaiʻi USA Federal Credit Union.

If you have participated in an AARP Telephone Town Hall before, your landline will automatically receive a call at 9 a.m. asking if you want to join the call. Others can call 866-654-9490 toll-free to join. The forum will also be live streamed on the AARP Hawaiʻi Facebook page, and viewers can ask questions in the comments.

“Education is one way we can fight scammers,” said Kealiʻi Lopez, AARP Hawaiʻi director. “Scammers are smart and constantly changing their tactics so it’s important to keep up with the latest scams to help protect loved ones from being defrauded. This telephone forum is similar to a radio show and people who call in can ask questions directly to our guests.”

The program is open to anyone of any age, and AARP membership is not required. Learn more at aarp.org/local or on the AARP Hawaiʻi Facebook page by clicking on the “Events” tab.