Vestavia Hosts Seminar On Crimes Against The Elderly

VESTAVIA HILLS, AL - Online and telephone crimes targeting elderly victims have been on the rise recently, with a new scam makings its way into the community every few months. So the City of Vestavia Hills is hosting an informational meeting to address crimes - particularly financial crimes - which are being committed against our senior citizens.

The seminar takes place August 7 at Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church. The event begins at 2 p.m. with registration at 1:30 p.m. The event is free and open to anyone who wishes to participate.

(For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Patch morning newsletter.)

Participating agencies include the Vestavia Hills Police Department; Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Alabama Office of Senior Services.

Recent scams that have been reported in the area will be addressed, including the "Relative in Distress" scam, which involves a caller saying he or she is a relative who is in trouble and needs money wired; a bevy of IRS scams wherein the victim is told they owe taxes and must pay now; online dating scams and the "Reverse Mortgage" scam.

Image via Shutterstock