AARP, USPS help take stand against fraud

By KEPHERD DANIEL kdaniel@liherald.com

Being a victim of identity theft is just the beginning. Resolving it can be a stressful and lengthy process, and according to a pair of experts from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, it’s always better to protect in advance against scams and fraud.

Some $8.8 billion was lost to lottery sweepstakes and other scams last year alone, according to the Federal Trade Commission — a 54 percent increase from 2021. Elder fraud cost Americans older than 60 more than $966 million in 2020, according to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center.

In the United States and other countries, these numbers are only growing as criminals increasingly use online scams that target older adults — especially those living alone.

“Even though we talk about this a lot and we give prevention tips, it seems that people are still falling victim to these scams. And that’s why it’s so important to give this information out,” said Donna Harris, a public information representative for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “Take the information and share with others so that we can get those numbers down and put the fraudsters where they need to be: behind bars.”

Harris was part of a pair of webinars hosted by AARP Long Island and RichnerLive — a sister division to Herald Community Newspapers — addressing these very issues affecting older Americans. She was joined by Michael Del Giudice, a postal inspector and team leader within the same division.

AARP voLuNtEERs BEtty Beradford and Mike Peck help load bags of sensitive documents into a shredder at Nassau Community College last weekend, as part of AARP’s drive to help curb fraud of older Americans.

“I hear from so many people that are recent victims,” said Bernard Macias, associate state director for Long Island with AARP New York. “It’s so disruptive. It’s so violating, it’s hurtful. It’s life-changing to be a victim.”

Identity theft has become a big problem in the United States and abroad due to so much information being available on the internet. Every day, many unwittingly open their digital door to a world of strangers who could be scammers. In many cases, the results can be devastating — especially to older and vulnerable adults.

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Even though many of these scammers are miles away, they can virtually enter homes through deceptive offers, designed to steal money and financial information.

“Once they have your information, it’s just like your DNA,” Harris said. “They find out who you are, and they can use it to defraud you. This is why we routinely dis-

To Shred

If you missed last weekend’s shredding event at Nassau Community College, don’t fret. You still have two more opportunities to do so with AARP Long Island and RichnerLive.

The next shredding event is scheduled for Saturday, May 6 from 9 a.m. to noon at Michael J. Tully Park, 1801 Evergreen Ave., in New Hyde Park. To register, visit bit.ly/ ShredNewHydePark.

Then, shredding season wraps up Saturday, May 20 from 10 a.m. to noon at Farmingdale Library, 116 Merritts Road, in Farmingdale. To register, visit bit.ly/ShredFarmingdale.

cuss current trends and scams to make aware of what is lurking behind the next pitch or offer that seems too good to be true.” gotolaundryforcampclothes,trunks,andbeddingfor years.Youcanscheduleapickupanytimewithourclean teamknowingwe'lldelivereverythingbackperfectly. We offer5%offfornewcustomersandanadditional2%offfor yourreferralsthatturnintocustomers.Awin-winfor CampFamiliesandtheirneighbors.

Also helping is not just throwing away documents with sensitive information like your Social Security number, but shredding it. One such mass shredding event happened this past weekend at Nassau Community College, attended by U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, state comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, and AARP state director Beth Finkel.

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