HAMILTON
TWP. – The Division of Consumer Affairs
and local officials today launched a new
statewide program designed to educate and
alert senior citizens to frauds specifically
targeting elderly residents.
The
“FedUp - Senior Fraud Education &
Protection Program” debuted before
an audience at the Hamilton Township Senior
Center. More than 10,000 booklets and 1,000
DVDs will be distributed to senior citizens
during similar presentations that will occur
statewide.
“Con
artists who think senior citizens are easy
targets are in for a rude awakening,”
Consumer Affairs Director David Szuchman
said. “FedUp is a proactive program
that will educate seniors in how to spot
a scam and also how to report attempted
frauds to Consumer Affairs investigators
and the local police.”
Residents
ages 60 or older filed approximately 1,400
of the 20,000 consumer complaints received
by the Division of Consumer Affairs last
year.
The
FedUp program is being funded through a
$58,000 grant. The grant comes from a $5
million fund established for consumer education
and protection projects, under a multi-state
settlement with Sears in 1997.
Some
of the scams targeted at senior citizens
include: advance fee fraud, where a senior
citizen is informed that he/she has won
a prize but needs to send in money to pay
for alleged processing fees and/or local
taxes; bogus charities that ask for donations
in cash or via checks made out to “cash”;
unregistered contractors who show up unannounced
and offer a “special deal” because
they are allegedly working in the neighborhood
and have extra materials to do a job; and
rebate or reward checks that covertly enroll
the person cashing the check into a subscription
or contract.
The
topics addressed in the FedUp program include:
-
Home improvement projects and repairs
-
Charitable Giving
-
Telemarketing/Mail Fraud
-
Investment Fraud
-
ID Theft
Tear-out
tip sheets on these topics are included
in the brochures that were given to senior
citizens today. The tip sheets can be used
for quick reference on how to spot a potential
scam.
“Knowledge
is power and today we’re empowering
New Jersey’s seniors against these
charlatans,” Szuchman said.
Director
Szuchman was joined at today’s program
by State Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein;
Hamilton Mayor John F. Bencivengo; Mary
Beth Dixon, Associate State Director, AARP;
Kathleen Fitzgerald, R.N., Hamilton Supervisor
of Senior and Veterans Services; and Donna
Giovannetti, Director of the Mercer County
Office of Consumer Affairs.
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