Podcasts News Easy Prey The Problem with Not Reporting Scams with Kathy Stokes

The Problem with Not Reporting Scams with Kathy Stokes

Published: June 12, 2024, 10 a.m.

Many assume that scammers just target the more mature in age, but they go after everyone. Younger people who may have been manipulated may not have the same amount of money to lose, but that doesn\u2019t mean they aren\u2019t being targeted.\xa0

Today\u2019s guest is Kathy Stokes. Kathy is the Director of Fraud Prevention Programs with AARP. She leads the AARP social mission work to educate older adults on the risks that fraud represents to their financial security. She currently serves on the advisory council to the Board of International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators and on the advisory council to the Senior Issues Committee of the North American Securities Administrators Association.

Show Notes:
  • [1:02] - Kathy shares her background, what she does at AARP, and what AARP actually is.
  • [3:50] - AARP has had a Fraud Watch Network for a while, but its current form is different from years past.
  • [5:29] - There is a concerted effort to bring the generations together to educate others in the community.
  • [7:26] - It is a common misconception that older people are targeted more often than other age groups.
  • [10:38] - The biggest barrier is something that is beginning to break down. It\u2019s the shame and victim blaming. We are at a turning point.
  • [12:50] - Unfortunately, police officers are not able to do much for financial crimes, but it is still important to report them.
  • [16:01] - Most scams are considered \u201clow ticket\u201d items, even if it is several thousand dollars and that\u2019s all you have.
  • [18:08] - AARP has a resource for how to talk about scams with family members who have been a victim of a scam. https://www.aarp.org/saythis\xa0
  • [20:50] - Rewording how we talk to and about victims of scams is changing.
  • [24:23] - You have to have a strong and unique password for literally everything.
  • [25:27] - Even just one extra layer of protection in the form of two-factor authentication is helpful.
  • [28:10] - No one will ever ask you for an authentication code over the phone.
  • [30:20] - There\u2019s got to be something we can do as a society to help victims with the money they\u2019ve lost.
  • [32:48] - We cannot trust incoming communication, including calls, emails, and texts.
  • [36:45] - Education and continuing to talk about this will help keep the trend of less victim shaming going.
  • [39:30] - Victims can change the verbiage as well. Report the scam and file a police report.
  • [41:29] - You can and should also report scams you know about even if you did not experience a loss.
  • [43:10] - A number to use to reach the Fraud Watch Network is 877-908-3360.
  • [48:09] - If someone you know has been a victim of a scam, don\u2019t get mad at them for \u201cfalling for it,\u201d get mad that this was done to them.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to\xa0subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.\xa0

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