I applaud the important steps being taken by the Office of the Attorney General to curb financial exploitation and elder abuse of older Mainers. This was highlighted in the Portland Press Herald article “Maine task force to focus on prosecution of elder abuse cases” (Feb. 1).

Each year, identity theft, investment fraud and scams rob millions of Americans of their hard-earned money. Many of the victims of these crimes are older adults who end up losing part or all of their savings in the process. Scam artists are relentless – they devise new schemes every day to defraud unsuspecting citizens and steal billions of dollars every year.

One problem is that victims of fraud are often reluctant to report the crime, but this is one of the best ways to stop fraud in its tracks. If you report a scam, you can potentially help keep your neighbors, your friends or your loved ones from suffering the same fate.

The Maine Fraud Prevention Alliance is hard at work raising awareness about how we can all successfully protect ourselves from the fraudulent individuals who work so hard to take our money. Go to www.dashfraud.com for more information.

AARP’s Fraud Watch Network is another great go-to resource for everyone, whether or not you’re a member: www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.

Investment scams and identity theft are just two of the many scams we hear about. They can happen to anyone.

I applaud the attorney general for her leadership on this important issue and look forward to hearing about the success of the new task force.

Erica Magnus

communications volunteer, AARP Maine

Windham

 

Copy the Story Link