Legal Aid of Arkansas - Jonesboro is promoting a new education campaign designed by the Federal Trade Commission to enlist people over 65 in the effort to recognize and report frauds and scams.
The FTC says that fraudsters generally target consumers of all ages – but they know that older people are likely to have bigger nest eggs, which makes them attractive. And, the consumer protection agency says, when older people lose money to a scam – regardless of whether it involves prizes and lotteries, imposters or identity theft – it’s usually more difficult for them to recoup their losses, making the consequences even more devastating.
Enlisting older people as part of the solution is part of a fresh approach the agency is taking to promote fraud awareness.
“People 65 and older have lots of life experience that enables them to recognize and avoid scams,” according to an FTC employee, “They also have a social network with which to share the life lessons they’ve learned. This campaign seeks to tap into their life experiences and their trusted place in the community.”
Pass It On reinforces what older people already know about some of today’s most common scams, and it gives them a short and straightforward way to share that knowledge with their family members, friends and communities. It focuses on their ability to be part of the solution instead of implying they’re part of the problem when it comes to scams.
“Older consumers are telling us they don’t want to be labeled as vulnerable victims,” said Anaicka Ortiz-Reed. “They want to pass on what they know about scams – not only to their peers, but to younger generations, as well.”
The topics in the first generation of the Pass It On campaign include imposter scams, identity theft, charity fraud, health care scams, paying too much, and “you’ve won” scams. Pass It On bookmarks and fact sheets are free, and available for bulk order or download at ftc.gov/PassItOn.
Legal Aid of Arkansas - Jonesboro will be hosting talks in Jonesboro and other areas in Northeast Arkansas.
To schedule a talk, contact Ortiz-Reed at (870) 972-9224 ext. 6316 or aortizreed@arlegalaid.org or Greneda Johnson at (870) 972-9224 ext. 2202 or gjohnson@arlegalaid.org.
