Fight Fraud
IMPACT – Why should you invest your time in this service project?
Scammers steal billions of dollars from unsuspecting people every year. The impact on victims and their families can be financially and emotionally devastating, especially for older Americans.
Become a fraud fighter! Learn to spot and avoid scams so you can provide support and guidance to your friends and family. Educate yourself and check out the available resources. Take steps to protect your identity.
Ideas
Prevent identity theft by shredding documents containing your personal and confidential information which you no longer need. Offer to take your shredder to a friend’s house and help them do the same or drop it by a secure document destruction site.
Subscribe to AARPs bi-weekly scam alerts so you can stay on top of the latest frauds.
Report fraud in your neighborhood through the BBB scam tracker or the AARP scam tracker.
Listen to “The Perfect Scam,” weekly podcast with former con artist Frank Abagnale to learn more about the nation’s biggest scams from the cons and those who have been scammed. Look it up on your smart phone or visit this AARP link for more info.
Freeze your credit (for free) if you don’t think you’ll be taking out any loans in the near future. This will prevent people from opening a line of credit in your name. If you have children or grandchildren, explore how to freeze their credit too.
Report a scam if you or someone you know has been victimized.
Resources & Examples
The AARP Fraud Watch Network offers free podcasts, bi-weekly scam alerts, webinars, a fraud watch map for charting fraud in your community and more. www.aarp.org/fraud
Free Credit Reports: Get your free credit report to make sure nobody has stolen your identity and created debt in your name. www.annualcreditreport.com
FINRA’s Broker Check tool allows consumers to look up financial advisors before investing with them. Check before you invest. www.brokercheck.finra.org
The FBI is a great source of information on scams. You can help them make cases by reporting.
Hawaii DCCA allows you to check out local businesses and report investment fraud.
Report elder abuse to your local prosecutor’s office:
Honolulu
Maui
Kauai
Hawaii
