If you're tired of being a sitting duck for scam artists, beeline it over to Salem next Tuesday for a masterclass in dodging devious schemes. The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (DFR), teaming up with Oregon AARP, is throwing open the doors for a Scam Jam – a free event to school locals on the art of not getting played. The shindig kicks off bright and early at 8:30 a.m., wrapping up at noon, all going down at Roth’s Catering and Event Center, 1130 Wallace Road NW.
Just walking in gets you a seat – no fuss with registration. And it ain't just the DFR and AARP holding the fort. The FTC and various state divisions are coming out of the woodwork, intent on showing you how to sniff out a crook. It's a rare chance to mine the smarts of consumer protection pros for zilch, nada, nothing. They’ve got the scoop on Ponzi plots to imposter swindles, and they're itching to spill the beans.
One highlight you won’t want to miss – DFR’s head honcho TK Keen dives into how his team puts the kibosh on Ponzi schemes. But that's just for starters. Presenters are locked and loaded with talk tracks on identity theft, disaster-relief fraudsters, and the top six tip-offs of a scam. As Keen puts it, putting the kibosh on fraudsters is big, but savvy citizens are where it's at. "Our office investigates and takes action against a significant number of investor fraud and senior fraud cases each year, but that is only part of the solution,” Keen told the Oregon government newsroom. “Through conversations and education, we can empower Oregonians to recognize the signs of fraud and take steps to protect themselves."
