Don’t Be Fooled! Tune in for April 25 Teletown Hall with Attorney General Tom Miller

Iowans of all ages are invited to join AARP Iowa, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and members of the Iowa Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division for a live, statewide teletown hall on impostor scams at 10 am, Tuesday, April 25, during Money Smart Week Iowa.

During the hour-long question and answer event titled, “Don’t Be Fooled by Impostor Scams,” Attorney General Miller and division experts will share tips and answer Iowans’ questions about current scams including the “grandparent” and “IRS” impostor scams.

“Impostor scams generally involve callers who lie about who they are and who they represent, followed by false but believable threats that convince victims to pay immediately,” Attorney General Tom Miller said. “Unfortunately, these scams have been terribly effective here in Iowa and across the nation,” Miller added. “The best way we can help Iowans defend themselves is to arm them with information so they aren’t taken by surprise and victimized. That’s our goal in partnering with AARP for this statewide teletown hall.”

“AARP and the AARP Fraud Watch Network are proud to team up with Iowa’s Attorney General and Consumer Protection Division for this special program designed to help Iowans learn how to spot and avoid scams to help people safeguard their savings,” said Kent Sovern, AARP Iowa state director.

To participate in the call, Iowans should register on-line at https://vekeo.com/event/aarpiowa-31918/ by 10 am on Monday, April 24. Registrants will receive a telephone call from AARP a little before 10 am on Tuesday, April 25, just prior to the call start.

The teletown call program format is similar to a radio call-in talk show, with time for live questions from listeners. The call will go out to more than 70,000 thousand Iowans across the state, and will also be live-streamed for simulcast viewing. Several communities are hosting Money Smart Week viewing events for the teletown hall including at the public libraries in Council Bluffs and Dyersville and at the Linn Area Credit Union in Cedar Rapids.  The program will also be recorded for viewing on-demand after the event.

In addition to the teletown hall with Iowa’s Attorney General, AARP Iowa is hosting a number of events around the state and in the Des Moines area during Money Smart Week®, a public awareness campaign designed to help Iowans and consumers across the country better manage their personal finances, avoid fraud and promote financial success.  For more information about the AARP programs during Money Smart Week, visit www.aarp.org/ia or www.moneysmartweek.org. AARP launched the Fraud Watch Network in response to statistics that every two seconds, someone’s identity gets stolen. The network is designed to help arm people of all ages with the tools they need to spot and avoid scams to protect the money they’ve earned so they can achieve their real possibilities and live their best life. Learn more at www.aarp.org/FraudWatchNetwork