BATON ROUGE, LA – May is recognized nationally as Older Americans Month, and Attorney General Jeff Landry is educating seniors on how to best spot and stop fraud before becoming victims to elder scams.

“As we celebrate the contributions of our older citizens this month, let us also remember that seniors are often targeted and preyed upon by scammers,” said Attorney General Jeff Landry. “From telemarketing fraud to sweepstakes fraud, fake check scams to living trust scams – the best way to protect seniors and their loved ones is to become familiar with the kinds of tactics and schemes that con artists ordinarily use.”

Attorney General Jeff Landry’s office offers a special consumer publication on elder fraud prevention. The easy-to-read booklet (available online here) contains information on how to avoid mortgage, contractor, charity and other types of frauds commonly perpetrated on senior citizens.

Tips outlined in the booklet advise seniors to:

• Never give out a Social Security number, credit card number, or checking account number over the phone unless the senior initiated the call.
• Resist high pressure to make a decision immediately.
• Never send money by courier, overnight delivery, or wire to anyone who insists on instant payment.
• Research all offers with the Attorney General Jeff Landry’s Consumer Protection Section before agreeing to send money.
• Ask the caller to send written information about the product or service being offered.
• Remember: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

To help further educate seniors on elder fraud, representatives from Attorney General Jeff Landry’s Office will be distributing information and answering questions at the following senior events:

Wednesday, May 25: 7:30 AM – 2:00 PM
National Senior Health and Fitness Day
Alexandria Convention Center
915 3rd Street, Alexandria, LA

Wednesday, May 25: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
National Senior Health and Fitness Day
Rosehouse Senior Center
120 Statesman Drive, Lafayette, LA

Thursday, May 26: 9:00 AM – 1:30 PM
Council on Aging St. Tammany/Senior Resource Festival
The Castine Center
63350 Pelican Drive, Mandeville, LA

Thursday, June 9: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
2016 Ageless Expo Fair
Cade Community Center
1688 Smede Highway, St. Martinville, LA

For more elder fraud prevention tips, contact Attorney General Jeff Landry’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-351-4889.

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