Senior fraud seminars set for two locations on Jan. 6

State Reps. Monica Bristow, D-Alton, and Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, are teaming up with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office to host separate senior fraud prevention seminars on Monday, Jan. 6.

Bristow will play host at 1 p.m. at the Bethalto Senior Center, 100 E. Central St. in Bethalto.

Stuart’s will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Collinsville Senior Center, 420 E. Main St., Collinsville.

“We sadly see more and more reports of scams and fraud targeting seniors, where victims are often hurt financially or cheated into paying money when they are already living on a fixed income,” said Bristow. “Recognizing these scams and fraudulent business practices can help seniors protect themselves from becoming a victim.”

A representative from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office will be present to teach residents about common and new scams and ways to protect themselves. The discussion will focus on scams targeting seniors, but people of all ages are invited to attend this free event to learn ways to protect themselves and their savings.

“With the expanded use of technology, criminals are coming up with more ways to cheat or scam people out of their money,” said Bristow. “Fraud prevention seminars help to arm seniors with the up-to-date knowledge and skills to identify and protect themselves from scams and fraudulent business practices.”

Stuart said: “Every few months, I team up with staff at the Illinois Attorney General’s Office to talk about the most common and new types of scams that typically target vulnerable, older adults. As scammers adapt and try out new ways to steal financial information from our seniors, I try to ensure that our local residents have the most up-to-date information from the attorney general.”

Stuart serves as co-chair of the Elder Abuse Task Force, a task force committed to investigating and improving current Illinois laws and protections for senior citizens. Her seminar will discuss the most common scams that target older adults, and ways that seniors and their family members can help protect themselves from scams. Financial experts from the Attorney General’s Office will be available to take questions and offer state information and resources to attendees.

“The best way to combat fraud is to be proactive and recognize the warning signs of a potential scam,” continued Stuart. “I encourage seniors and their loved ones to attend this event to learn how to protect themselves from financial harm.”

For more information about protecting older citizens or reporting cases of abuse, visit http://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/seniors/index.html.