PORTAGE, Mich. — The Portage Zhang Senior Center makes it a priority to protect older neighbors from scammers, offering ongoing education and partnering with local law enforcement to keep neighbors informed.
Rose Liddell knows how to handle scammers.
"Absolutely not. I don't give any information out, ever. Click! End of conversation," Liddell said.
The senior center says it does everything it can to teach older neighbors how not to become victims.
"We offer ongoing different education. Prevention tips. We partner with Portage Public Safety, and we do coffee with a cop, so they have the opportunity to engage with our participants," Kim Phillips, Director of Senior Citizen Services, said.
The need for that education is underscored by a recent federal case. According to federal court documents, an older Portage neighbor handed over more than $90,000 in gold to a fraudster last year. Earlier this month, a man signed a plea deal, saying he had traveled to the victim's home and picked up the gold.
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According to the plea agreement, it was all part of a wider conspiracy mostly targeting older people — telling them fake stories, like their Social Security or Facebook accounts had been compromised, and they needed to hand over cash or gold. The case is still pending.
Liddell said skepticism is warranted.
"Anything can be a scam. And if I want something, I'll call for it. I don't want them to call me," Liddell said.
Phillips said even people who seem savvy can fall victim.
"I've seen people and you think, they should know better. But these scammers are so clever. They can trick anybody," Phillips said.
Liddell agreed that older people are especially at risk.
"You can't trust calls nowadays. There's too many scammers out there. And they prey on older people," Liddell said.
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