TARCOG Fraud and Scam summit educates the senior population

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Scams that target the senior population are on the rise, according to the Alabama Securities Commission.

The commission was part of a seminar on Thursday to educate the aging community members about the most common scams happening across Alabama.

Teresa Hazzard told News 19 that she was scammed by someone who targeted her with a Netflix logo. When she clicked on the logo, she was hundreds of dollars short in her bank account.

“They told me that I can get 90 days free,” Hazzard said.

The next message that she received was a request for her credit card information.

“I put my credit card information in that link and as soon as I hit the submit button, my bank called me and told me that I had been scammed out of $700,” Hazzard explained.

Her bank acted quickly to recover her money, but Hazzard was lucky. She attended the summit as a member of the Alabama Regional Council of Governments (TARCOG) group to share her story with hundreds of seniors and to warn them of how easy it is to fall prey to scams.

Elder fraud reports to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center rose by 14% in 2023 and it appears to be a trend that will continue.

Topics covered at the summit include the importance of cyber security, the definition of consumer fraud and the legal implications after being scammed.

“Often times the perpetrator might be someone you know and more often it’s someone you don’t know,” said Michelle Jordan, TARCOG Executive Director. “We help seniors to know how important it is to share their experiences, especially with law enforcement.”

“Our seniors and other populations are so geared to stuff that may be free,” said Hazzard. “When scammers call, they explain that they can give you something for free and most of our seniors are attracted to that.”

For information on the TARCOG Fraud and Scam Summit here.

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