AARP Pennsylvania

Love is in the air as Valentine's Day approaches, but so are romance scammers, preying on unsuspecting hearts. AARP Pennsylvania is committed to keeping you informed so that you know how to spot and avoid scams.

Fraud criminals use all sorts of pitches to claim to help you become debt-free. These offers usually involve up-front fees, bad advice like stopping communication with your creditors and vague details on what services they actually provide.

AARP Community Challenge grants fund quick-action projects that help communities become more livable by improving public places, transportation, housing, digital connections, and more. Now in its eighth year, the program is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports the efforts of cities, towns, neighborhoods and rural areas to become great places to live for all residents, especially those age 50 and older.

As we step into 2024, AARP Pennsylvania reminds everyone to be vigilant against scams that continually evolve with technological advancements. The start of the new year is a prime time for scammers, seeking to exploit individuals through various fraudulent schemes.

It’s New Year’s Resolution time. Time to make a commitment to be fraud aware in 2024. For the next 52 weeks, like clockwork, scammers will be on the prowl looking to steal our money or sensitive information. Instead of making one pledge this New Year make a resolution to remember these three words: stop, think and verify.

In a significant step forward for the well-being and rights of older Pennsylvanians, Governor Josh Shapiro recently signed into law three key pieces of legislation supported by AARP Pennsylvania.

“On behalf of our 1.8 million members and all Pennsylvanians 50-plus, AARP Pennsylvania is opposed to the PAWC’s rate adjustment request recently filed with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC). On average, the PAWC proposal would raise water rates for residential customers by at least 25 percent. If approved, charges to the customer could increase by about $17.59 each month -- or $211 a year..."

A new 2023 AARP Fraud Watch NetworkTM report is highlighting the ways criminals target consumers during the holiday season. A majority (80%) of U.S. consumers say they have experienced some type of fraud this year – many of which ramp up over the holiday shopping season. These holiday shopping scams have increased from last year’s report, from receiving fake notifications about shipments, to online ad scams, and more. 

For the first time since AARP began publishing the Scorecard in 2011, more than half of Medicaid long-term care dollars nationwide for older adults and people with physical disabilities went to home- and community-based services instead of nursing homes and other institutions.

One of the most nefarious scams today is bank impersonation. Money stolen through these schemes is rarely recoverable, so it’s particularly important to be aware of this scam and share what you know with others.