PHILADELPHIA — AARP Pennsylvania volunteers lit up the phone lines Friday as part of a “Reverse Boiler Room,” dialing thousands of older Pennsylvanians to arm them with the information they need so they can be on the alert and protect themselves and their families from certain scams.
They were joined by U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich, and Acting Secretary of Human Services Valerie Arkoosh in reversing a long-time favorite tactic of con artists, whereby instead of hearing from crooks, Pennsylvania residents heard from trained volunteers on how to protect themselves from fraud and identity theft.
“Every year, more and more Pennsylvanians are victimized by fraudsters and scammers,” said Bill Johnston-Walsh, state director of AARP Pennsylvania. “And, once the money is gone, it is nearly impossible to recover. The best defense is for people to be informed about the various forms of consumer fraud happening daily – whether over the phone, the internet, your email, your mailbox, or even at your front door. That is why today we turned the tables on scammers, arming Pennsylvanians with the information they need so they know how to spot a scam and stop a scam.”
Impostor scams generally start with an unsolicited phone call, email, text or social media message. Fraudsters impersonate people and organizations you would ordinarily trust or at least hear out. The most common pose, accounting for 40 percent of impostor reports to the FTC, involves government agencies such as Social Security, Medicare or the IRS.
Impersonating police officers, federal agents, the IRS, tech, online shopping, or financial service companies, scammers use their “authority” to scare a person into paying them. Or they pretend to be a friend or loved one in trouble who needs money.
Casey commented that he was grateful to join the AARP’s efforts to educate seniors on every tool at their disposal to combat fraud.
“This includes the Aging Committee’s annual Fraud Book, a valuable resource with information about the most common scams that seniors report to the Committee’s Fraud Hotline, and how best to prevent them. One of my top priorities in Congress is protecting older adults against frauds and scams, and I’ll keep working to make sure seniors stay protected,” said Casey, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging.
The AARP Fraud Watch Network is a free resource for all. Fraud Watch equips consumers with up-to-date knowledge to spot and avoid scams and connect those targeted by scams with our fraud helpline specialists, who provide support and guidance on what to do next. AARP also advocates at the federal, state, and local levels to enact policy changes that protect consumers and enforce laws.
To report a scam, call local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.
