Press

50 million served, 50 million more to go

John Walsh of Lewes has been selected by AARP, the nonprofit organization for people 50 and older, to receive the 2017 AARP Delaware Andrus Award for Community Service -- the Association’s most prestigious and visible state volunteer award for community service.

With Delawareans being victimized at an alarming rate by fraudulent pop-up messages that warn computer users of a purported virus infection or urgently needed repair, the AARP Fraud Watch Network has launched a major campaign to raise awareness of the “Tech Support Scam.”

Netflix customers beware ! Scammers are conducting a campaign to obtain personal and financial information from Netflix users across the country. Netflix users are receiving an email claiming to be from the company asking them to update their Netflix login information. After providing this, a second screen appears which asks users to validate their payment information. After providing their information on the fraudulent website, the Netflix customers are re-directed to the actual Netflix homepage. The phishing email looks surprisingly realistic and uses legitimate servers that were compromised, so security software may not recognize the email as a phishing attempt.

A new AARP survey shows that an overwhelming percentage (84 percent) of American private sector workers “strongly or somewhat agree” that officials should back legislation to enable workers “to save their own money for retirement.”

Beginning Feb. 1 through April 18, AARP Foundation is providing free tax assistance and preparation through its Tax-Aide program. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, in its 49th year, is the nation’s largest free tax assistance and preparation service, offering free tax preparation help to anyone, especially those who are 50 and older, who cannot afford a tax preparation service.

To recognize their work to support family caregivers in Delaware, AARP named four Legislators as 2016 “Capitol Caregivers,” on Jan. 11 as part of a bipartisan group of elected officials from more than 23 states. These leaders have advanced policies to help family caregivers who are making it possible for all Delawareans to live independently in their homes and communities—where they want to be.

Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond praised the announcement of a final rule by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) that updates requirements for providing financial advice to individual retirement plan savers. Americans saving for retirement currently lose an estimated 6 to 17 billion dollars per year due to bad investment advice. Many advisers already abide by the higher standard.

This year, AARP Foundation is again providing free tax assistance and preparation for taxpayers with low- to moderate- income through the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, in its 48th year, is the nation’s largest free tax assistance and preparation service, giving special attention to the older population. Taxpayers do not need to be a member of AARP or a retiree to use this service.

AARP and a team of supporters spent January 27, 2016 at Legislative Hall in Dover advocating for better support for caregivers. The group met with legislators including CARE Act sponsors Senator Bethany Hall-Long and House Majority Leader Valerie Longhurst. The group provided valuable information on the CARE Act, which will help make it possible for older Delawareans and other loved ones to live at home and in their own communities – which is where they want to be.