Educating seniors to avoid scams

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - The Gerontology Education, Research, And Outreach Institute, Or GERO, at the University of Louisiana Monroe held a conference on campus at The Terrace to educate seniors about scams.

Dr. Anita Sharma, director for GERO, wants to make sure seniors are aware of scams in the area.

“With these presentations, not only are we reaching out to them, we are educating them on something that is going to protect them,” said Sharma.

Seniors are a population that is targeted for scams, primarily due to their upbringing.

“It was an environment where, you know, the next-door neighbor will help you. People would not even lock their doors,” said Sharma.

Trey Curtis, CFP, a financial advisor for Advent, said there are ways to help people, not just seniors, avoid scams.

“People lose track of who they do business with. You know, with banks being bought out, constantly changing names,“ said Curtis. ”It is very important for the seniors to understand exactly where their money is located and what institution is dealing with their money.”

This helps to avoid being scammed.

The Federal Trade Commission reported $8.8 billion was lost by individuals in 2022 due to scams, $2.8 billion higher than 2021.

For more information on avoiding scams, you can visit the Better Business Bureau of NELA website and the Federal Trade Commission.

Go to ULM’s GERO Institute website for information on future conferences.

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