skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, November 1, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump attacks Liz Cheney using violent war imagery; Election insights: What 50 Ohioans want to hear from candidates; Consumer groups slam CA Supreme Court ruling on lemon law; On National Brush Day, new resources in KY to boost oral health.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Harris says her campaign is prepared for Trump to prematurely claim victory, Pennsylvania election officials say safeguards in the system are preventing vote fraud, and Montana Senate race could hinge on the "political refugee" vote.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A Cambodian poultry farmer who lost his livelihood could be a hero for others, rural Montanans are anxiously awaiting a court ruling over a climate lawsuit brought by young people, and Northeast states say more housing for working families could boost jobs.

AARP VA Hosts 6th Annual Scam Jam

play audio
Play

Thursday, April 27, 2023   

In the hopes of warning seniors about the dangers of online scams, AARP Virginia is hosting its annual Scam Jam April 29. Members of law enforcement as well as scam victims will be speaking about what people should look for to avoid being scammed.

According to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, Virginians were scammed out of $205 million in 2022 with more than 11,000 victims across the state.

Paul Greenwood, a retired deputy district attorney in San Diego and an AARP fraud prevention ambassador who will speak at the event, said it is challenging to get law enforcement to take seniors seriously when they have been scammed.

"The worst thing that can be done, first of all, is to reprimand the victim by saying, 'How could you be so stupid' or 'Why would you fall for that?'" Greenwood pointed out. "It's not about the victim doing anything wrong. It's not about victim blaming. It's about focusing on the behavior of the suspect."

He added law enforcement officers should not make excuses such as the person being in a different country when someone wants to file a report. The Scam Jam will run from 9 a.m. to noon at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University in Fairfax, and online.

Kate Kleinert, a romance scam victim from Philadelphia who will speak at the event, lost $39,000 in an online romance scam. She met someone on Facebook who claimed to be a surgeon and asked her for money for his children. Though Kleinert lost a significant sum in the scam, she noted the ripple effects lingered long after.

"Losing that money was devastating to me financially, but losing what I thought was another chance at love was much harder to get over. I had to grieve for that," Kleinert recounted. "As it turned out, I had been living off of my credit cards because I was sending him all my money."

Initially, she was reluctant to tell anyone about the incident. Once she told her story to AARP's fraud line, she felt understood, and aims to help people feel less ashamed about their experiences being scammed.

References:  
Report FBI 2021

get more stories like this via email
more stories
Signal Ohio found overarching issues such as climate change, reproductive rights and safety were on the minds of many Ohioans. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

As Election Day approaches, the online outlet Signal Ohio interviewed 50 people across Cleveland and Akron to find out what is on the minds of …


Environment

play sound

Wild Chinook salmon have returned to the Upper Klamath River less than two months after the largest dam-removal project in U.S. history to remove …

Social Issues

play sound

Political rallies and large-scale "get out the vote" events might conjure images of a packed arena in a major city but in states like North Dakota…


According to Gov. Roy Cooper's office, Hurricane Helene's flooding and destruction in western North Carolina have led to an estimated $53 billion in damages and recovery costs. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

As North Carolina communities continue to pick up the pieces after Hurricane Helene, they have faced a new obstacle: A surge of misinformation is …

Social Issues

play sound

In the final sprint toward Election Day, some Minnesotans might worry their absentee ballot won't arrive in time. Experts say there's no cause for …

A 2023 Siena College poll showed 77% of New York State residents feel the lack of affordable housing is a major problem. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New York's affordable housing crisis is being made worse by corporate landlords, according to groups trying to reform the system. The state …

Social Issues

play sound

By Mariah Alanskas for Kent State NewsLab.Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi reporting for the Kent State-Ohio News Connection Collaboration…

Social Issues

play sound

Just days away from the big election, a new bipartisan survey shows Michiganders strongly back protections for labor laws and reject any cuts that …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021