Pearl City Scam Jam to Help Residents Avoid Fraud

AARP Hawaii and state agencies leading the fight against fraud are offering a free public awareness event at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Pearl City on Saturday, July 18 (8:30 – 10:30 a.m.) The event will arm residents against identity theft, investment fraud, and related scams that rake in billions of dollars.

The Pearl City Scam Jam is free and open to the public but registration is required.

The Scam Jam workshop is co-sponsored by the State Office of the Securities Commissioner, the Better Business Bureau of Hawaii, the state Department of Attorney General, Project Dana, and Our Lady of Good Counsel Church. It is intended to help adults protect themselves from financial fraud by shining light on the tactics scam artists use to separate people from their money.

Featured presentations include:

• Inside the Con Artist’s Playbook – by AARP State President Gerry Silva
• Avoiding Elder Abuse – by Honolulu Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Scott Spallina

 

A new statewide survey of Hawaii adults shows that many consumers put themselves at risk of identity theft, investment fraud and other financial scams by ignoring basic prevention measures. The report, Risky Behavior: Assessing the Fraud Risk and Avoidance Among Hawaii Adults 18+, suggests the extent to which island residents leave themselves vulnerable to fraud by ignoring time-tested consumer protection tips that help thwart identity thieves and investment fraudsters.

The survey reveals that an alarming number of Hawaii adults say that they or someone they know have received coercive phone calls or emails from con artists posing as a government, company, or lottery representatives. Findings range from investment behavior to information on low- and high-tech behaviors to discourage identity theft, monitor credit and protect personal information stored online:

• Among residents who say they have access to the internet (89 percent), one-third (34 percent) said they have not set up online access to their bank and credit card accounts.
• Nearly four in ten (43 percent) say they or someone they know has received a phone call or email that says they won a lottery worth millions of dollars but to claim the winnings, a processing fee must be paid.

 

The telephone survey was developed by AARP and conducted among 700 Hawaii residents age 18-plus from March 20 to April 8, 2015. It has a margin of error of ±3.8 percent.

Earlier this year AARP Hawaii launched the Fraud Watch Network, an education effort aimed at arming residents against the threat of identity theft, investment fraud and related scams. Join the Fraud Watch Network for real-time watchdog alerts about the latest scams.