Palos Park Police Offer Scam Prevention Seminars For Older Adults

PALOS PARK, IL — Join Palos Park police at the Kaptur Center, 8999 W. 123rd St., and learn how to prevent scams. The seminar, “Scams, Schemes and Exploitation” will be presented at two different times Wednesday, March 22, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. or from 6:30 to 8 p.m. These seminars will show older adults how to avoid becoming a victim of emerging crime trends, fraudulent tax schemes and identify theft.

Investigator Ross Chibe will instruct residents on how they can minimize their chances of falling victim to these crimes. Attendees will learn about the tactics fraudsters use to collect personal information, solicit funds, and compromise security. The seminars will take place in a relaxed setting and pizza will be served.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has devoted significant effort to arresting criminals who prey on older adults. The FBI recently published its first annual Elder Fraud Report, with information and statistics compiled from their Internet Crime Complaint Center. In 2020, the FBI received 791,790 complaints from fraud and scam victims of all ages. About 28 percent of the frauds were reported by victims older than 60, reporting losses of $1 billion. This amounted to an increase of $300 million, compared to losses reported by seniors over 60 in 2019. Older Americans reported an average loss of $9,175. In 1921, older victims reported losing more than $100,000 in a scam or fraud.