Deceptive telephone calls, claiming to be from federal agencies; scamming emails that promote products that are too good to be true, and letters that promise large sums of money – all of these are tactics that are used by scam artists and fraudsters to take advantage of Mainers.

In this day and age, when we are inundated with emails and phone calls, it can be challenging to distinguish fraud and scammers from saviors. All of us have witnessed these scams in action, and many members of our community have been hurt by harmful fraud. While scams and fraud affect all Mainers, older Mainers are a frequent target of this crime.

Given the risk that scams pose to our community, I was pleased to welcome Attorney General Aaron Frey to York County last month for a public information session on tips for avoiding fraud and scams. Although Attorney General Frey made it clear that frauds and scams are pervasive in our area, there are some key steps that all of us can take to keep ourselves safe. For example, if you see a charity that looks suspicious, you can always verify its legitimacy with the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation.

Many of us have sacrificed a great deal over decades to have a secure and stable retirement. We must continue to be vigilant to make sure that our investments do not dissolve in a matter of minutes.

Dan Hobbs

Democratic state representative

Wells

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