Workshops teach
prevention of elder financial fraud, abuse
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — Maine’s Office of Securities and Partners will be offering a program entitled “Outsmarting Financial Fraud and Elder Abuse” at several locations across the state from Sept. 10-12, including a session in the Star City.
With cases of elder financial abuse escalating in numbers in Maine and throughout the country, and with financial exploitation of seniors considered one of the growing crimes of the 21st century, a coalition of government and non-profit agencies has joined to offer a series of free educational sessions for the public, including seniors, caregivers and service providers. Sessions will be offered in Hallowell, Scarborough, Lewiston, Bangor and Presque Isle from Sept. 10-12.
Maine’s Office of Securities has teamed up with the Maine Association of Area Agencies on Aging, the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, SaveAndInvest.org, Legal Services for the Elderly and other experts in offering these sessions to give seniors and allies concrete, practical information and resources on how to spot fraud and exploitation and how to get help or intervene to help a vulnerable senior.
“The Office of Securities is pleased to facilitate this effort to enhance public awareness about the financial exploitation and abuse of older Mainers,” Securities Administrator Judith Shaw said. “These upcoming sessions will provide resources to seniors, and training directly to individuals who interact with older adults on a regular basis.”
Shaw credited local efforts to protect seniors from such abuses.
“Our partners in this effort do remarkable work to inform and protect seniors, and we encourage people to take advantage of the resources and insights to be offered,” said Shaw.
Gerri Walsh, president of the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, added, “Investment fraud criminals are experts at parting people from their money. Mainers are being targeted. The FINRA Foundation is proud to sponsor the Maine investor education workshops.”
“We are committed to providing Mainers and all Americans with the information necessary to spot and avoid investment fraud and scams,” said Walsh.
In Presque Isle, the workshop will be held at The Gathering Place, 33 Davis St., on Sept. 12 from 9-11 a.m., with a train-the-trainers session planned for 11 a.m. to noon. Elsewhere in the state, sessions are planned for Sept. 10 in Augusta and Scarborough, and Sept. 11 in Lewiston and Bangor.
Workshops are free and open to all interested individuals.
For more information, call the Office of Securities at 877-624-8551 or the Maine Association of Area Agencies on Aging at 877-353-3771.
