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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | OCTOBER 2025 25 It is important to stay aware of common elder fraud schemes that are widespread today. e Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act was signed into law in October 2017 to prevent elder abuse and exploitation, and to improve the justice system's response to victims in elder abuse and exploitation cases. WHAT IS ELDER FRAUD? e U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) denes elder abuse as an intentional or negligent act by any person that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to an older adult, including nancial exploitation and fraud. e Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is the FBI oce responsible for handling Elder Fraud complaints. COMMON ELDER FRAUD SCHEMES • Romance scam: Criminals pose as interested romantic partners on social media or dating websites. • Tech Support scam: Criminals pose as technology or customer support, oering help with non-existent issues like computer viruses or hacked accounts. • Grandparent scam: Criminals pretend to be a relative, usually a child or grandchild, claiming to be in urgent nancial need. • Government Impersonation scam: Criminals pose as government employees, threatening to arrest or prosecute victims unless they pay. • Sweepstakes/Lottery/Inheritance scam: Criminals claim the victim has won a lottery or sweepstakes, or is inheriting money from a distant relative, however, they have to send money to cover fees and taxes before the funds can be released to them. • Investment scam: Criminals promote unsuitable or fraudulent investments, resulting in the or misuse of funds. • Charity scam: Criminals claim to work for a charity to gain trust and solicit donations. • TV/Radio scam: Criminals target potential victims with ads about services like reverse mortgages or credit repair. • Family/Caregiver scam: Perpetrators are relatives or acquaintances who exploit or steal from the elderly. • Non-Delivery of Product: Victims don't receive online purchases or the items dier from descriptions, oen advertised on social media. PROTECT YOURSELF • Avoid pressure to act quickly. Criminals create urgency to instill fear and prompt immediate actions. • Be cautious with unsolicited calls, mail, or door-to-door oers. • Never share personally identiable information. • Never wire money to people or businesses met only online. • Keep your computer security soware up to date. If you see a suspicious pop-up or locked screen, disconnect from the internet and turn o your device. • Do not open unfamiliar emails or click on unknown links or attachments. • Research online ads and companies before purchasing to verify legitimacy. • Stop communication with the scammer. • Many families have a word or phrase they use to verify each other. For example, if someone calls claiming to be a child or grandchild, you can ask, "what's the secret word?" REPORT IT If you or someone you know might be a victim of elder fraud, le a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov. Be ready to provide: • Financial transaction details. • Information used by criminals, such as bank accounts, addresses, emails, websites, and phone numbers. • Keep original records for law enforcement. • Contact your nancial institutions and credit bureaus to protect your accounts and monitor for suspicious activity. For more information visit the FBI Elder Fraud website at i. gov/elderfraud for additional resources. e U.S. DOJ, Oce for Victims of Crime, oers the National Elder Fraud Hotline as a re- source for reporting: (833) FRAUD-11 or (833) 372-8311 CPR / AED CLASSES: Monthly CPR classes on Sundays are currently not scheduled. You can arrange a CPR class for your club or committee by calling, texting, or emailing A J Reilly at (951) 522- 9975 or reilly58@me.com. Community Awareness Meeting: We invite our current Block Captains and anyone interested in becoming one, to join this month's Community Awareness Meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 10 am in e Lodge Ballroom. All are welcome! "If you see something, say something" is is the message we want everyone in our community to take seriously. We all need to be our "eyes and ears" to report unsafe or unusual situations. We also thank our Block Captains and Community Awareness Committee members for their eorts in keeping our community safe. ~ Frank Hilberg, hilberg frank@gmail.com Community Awareness

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