MERIDIAN, Idaho — When we teach our children something, it always helps to incorporate some type of game or activity in order to make learning fun. However, if you really think about it, no matter what age we happen to be, we always seem to retain a little more using the learning-is-fun concept. In today's Financial Fitness segment, we see how a statewide coalition is helping Idaho seniors avoid getting scammed...through Bingo.
The state of Idaho has unfortunately seen its share of scams and fraud.
"In the last three years alone, there have been $950,000 in reported losses from scams and fraud, and those scams are always evolving or changing. Even though we think we might know about the obvious scams, you know, the gift card scam, the romance scam, they're always changing," said Consumer Affairs Officer for the Idaho Department of Finance Celia Kinney.
Sadly, one group that is most commonly scammed is seniors.
"There's a cognitive change that makes them more susceptible. There's also isolation. We know that when you're isolated, you're just more vulnerable to engaging with an individual, a bad actor that has bad intentions," said Kinney.
And those bad actors are finding more and more ways to dupe seniors out of their nest eggs, money they've earned from decades of work.
"They're using technology. A lot of people of a certain age aren't as familiar with technology, so they use that to really fool people," said AARP Idaho Director of Outreach Cathy McDougall.
That's where the Idaho Scam Jam Alliance comes into play. They're a group of government entities and non-profits that have joined forces to try and protect Idahoans from scams.
"We've all come together with this common mission to help educate Idaho consumers about scams and fraud," said Kinney.
And when it comes to seniors specifically, the alliance has made a few modifications to a golden-years favorite by creating Fraud Bingo.
"We encourage audience participation by having our audience members that may have that number or letter combination talk about a scam or fraud that they have been impacted by. And that's where the magic happens. When we have that community discussion happening," said Kinney
In addition to sharing their own stories, seniors who attend are read a different safety tip after each number-letter combination is announced, helping them stay informed so they know what to watch out for.
"These con criminals are actively calling seniors who are often times lonely, and those are the only people they're talking to. So the Scam Jam Alliance has to be the counterweight to these con criminals out there trying to reach seniors, so we're here to provide the right information at the right time to prevent the scams from happening in the first place," said McDougall.
And just as imperative, the alliance always stresses the importance of reporting scams and fraud if you become a victim.
"There's no shame in being the victim of a scam. A lot of people don't come forward or are hesitant because they feel like 'Oh, I should have known. I was a sucker.' But really, we hear from doctors, we hear from attorneys, we hear from a wide variety of individuals so it could happen to anyone," said Kinney.
With more Fraud Bingo sessions planned for venues around the state and other educational presentations planned, the Idaho Scam Jam Alliance is doing what it can to help you keep your money.
"The more you can educate yourself, the more likely you are to keep your money in a secure place for your retirement," said McDougall.
For more information on the Idaho Scam Jam alliance, check out their website here:
