FBI Launches Elder Fraud Awareness Initiative — FBI

The FBI Columbia subject workplace launched a brand new initiative this week to fight an alarming enhance in monetary fraud that affects South Carolina’s senior residents.

Representatives from the FBI Columbia’s White-Collar Crime program have begun a collection of shows to teach senior audiences who’re most susceptible to those monetary scams. Through the shows, FBI representatives will present statistics and different data to assist them keep away from falling sufferer, in addition to methods to report these schemes to the right authorities.

“There was a pointy rise in one of these prison exercise since 2015,” mentioned Particular Agent in Cost, Susan Ferensic. “South Carolinians are dropping thousands and thousands of {dollars} yearly, and we’ve got a chance to teach the general public in order that we are able to reduce the monetary losses and assist forestall our senior citizen inhabitants from changing into victims.”

Between 2015-2020, FBI stories confirmed South Carolinians misplaced between $1.7 million and $4.4 million to confidence fraud and romance scams, that are two of the extra prevalent schemes. The FBI’s Web Crime Criticism Middle (IC3) stories additionally confirmed that these over the age of 60 misplaced probably the most cash in all rip-off classes with losses between $2.5 million and $9.9 million throughout that five-year time span.

The FBI Columbia subject workplace will maintain academic classes throughout the state in efforts to succeed in goal audiences over the approaching months.

In the event you imagine you’re a sufferer or a witness of economic fraud, you might be inspired to report it to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or by submitting a tip at www.ic3.gov