State Senator James L. Seward (R/C/I – Oneonta) announced Monday that he is sponsoring a pair of free senior scam prevention forums in Oneonta and Cooperstown on Friday, October 23rd.Senator Seward is partnering with the New York State Department of State to notify senior citizens, caregivers, and others about the alarming trend of senior targeted scams.  A specialist with the Division of Consumer Protection will conduct the free presentations, helping senior citizens proactively protect their identities and avoid becoming the victims of a scam.

Scams targeting senior citizens are on the rise.  According to the AARP, roughly one-third of all scam victims are 65 or older. AARP estimates that fraud costs older Americans more than $3 billion a year, but the true figure is many times higher, because most of these crimes go unreported out of embarrassment.  Senator Seward has also supported numerous measures to update New York’s laws to prevent criminals from using financial schemes to prey upon senior citizens and to appropriately punish those convicted of such crimes. The senior scam prevention forums will take place on:

- Friday, October 23rd from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Elm Park Church, 401 Chestnut Street in Oneonta

- Friday, October 23rd from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Cooperstown Village Offices, 22 Main Street in Cooperstown.

The forums are free and open to the public.

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