Residents of Sacramento concerned about elder fraud have an opportunity to empower themselves against would-be scammers. A free seminar dedicated to cyber scam prevention for seniors is hitting the local scene. Scheduled for next Friday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the gathering welcomes the community to the Sacramento Central Seventh-day Adventist Church located at 6045 Camellia Ave.
With a focus on the elderly, who are frequently preyed upon by online fraudsters, the event is engineered by the City of Sacramento's Department of Information Technology in partnership with the FBI Sacramento Citizens Academy Alumni Association, Sacramento InfraGard, and the FBI Sacramento Field Office. Offering strategies to recognize and steer clear of tech support cons, lottery fraud and family impersonation schemes, the seminar is rolling out the welcome mat for anyone looking to shore up their digital defenses.
Information Security Officer Paolo Tandoc, spearhead of the initiative, underscored the value of the seminar. “These seminars have proven to be an effective way to raise awareness and equip people with the knowledge they need to stay safe online,” Tandoc told the Sacramento City Express. This educational event comes amidst a worrying uptick in elder-targeted cyber scams that, in 2023 alone, siphoned an unsettling $3.4 billion from older adults, per statistics from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Given the stakes, the seminar's organizers are urging community shares of the event details with friends, family and particularly seniors who might benefit the most from the insights dispensed. Registration for the free seminar does require an RSVP in advance, and attendees can look forward to complimentary lunch provisions while they learn. Interested parties are advised to sign up promptly to secure their spot.
