Telephone Town Hall with Delaware AG to Focus on Fraud

Looking to avoid becoming a target for criminals who want to steal your money?

AARP is hosting a telephone town hall with Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings on Wednesday, June 11.

Delaware consumers lost more than $34 million to fraud in 2024, according to data from the Federal Trade Commission. That’s up from about $9.4 million in 2020. Officials believe losses are far higher because fraud is underreported.

One key topic for the town hall will be home improvement fraud. The Delaware Department of Justice says that home improvement scams were among the top 10 types of fraud reported to the agency last year. In 2024, the department’s Consumer Protection Unit received 303 fraud complaints dealing with home improvement or new-home construction scams; that’s up from 277 five years earlier, state data shows.

In such cases, a contractor may overcharge a homeowner or take the homeowner’s money without completing the agreed-upon work — or without doing any work at all. Some may even damage a consumer’s home.

AARP Delaware is supporting two bills in the state Legislature to help protect homeowners from sloppy or fraudulent contractors. One measure would establish a home improvement dispute resolution process. The second would give homeowners the right to cancel certain home improvement contracts within three days — or five days for older adults and people with disabilities. It would also limit the amount consumers have to put down as a deposit for such projects.

“As summer approaches, we always see an uptick in home improvement scams,” says Kim Wharton, AARP Delaware’s lead fraud staffer. “Once consumers lose money to these perpetrators, they rarely have a way to get their money back.”

Other top types of fraud in the state include imposter scams; investment fraud; vacation and timeshare schemes; and fake sweepstakes and lotteries, according to the AG’s office. Jennings will talk about the current trends, how to report fraud and what steps people can take to protect themselves.

In a statement to the Bulletin, Jennings noted that many scammers specifically target older adults.

“My team and I will do everything we can to track down these criminals and hold them accountable, but it is also important seniors educate themselves so they can spot the signs of a scam or fraud,” she said.

When Jennings served as chief deputy attorney general from 1993 to 1995, she worked to create the state’s Consumer Fraud Division to help strengthen consumer protections against such crimes.

The June 11 town hall will begin at 10 a.m. Participants can listen live on AARP Delaware’s Facebook page at facebook.com/AARPDE. Jennings will also answer questions posted in the comments section.

—Michelle Cerulli McAdams