Protecting savings and assets becomes increasingly important as people age. Older adults can be attractive targets for fraudsters. Studies have suggested that older Americans lost at least $2.9 billion to financial exploitation in 2010 by a broad spectrum of perpetrators, including persons they know and trust, as well as strangers. Financial education practitioners can help to prevent, recognize, and report financial exploitation.
“Money Smart” is a specialist-led workshop developed by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach designed to raise awareness among older adults and their caregivers on how to prevent elder financial exploitation. The fraud prevention public awareness program has been recently updated to include new information on frauds and scams, and how to prevent them.
Money Smart will be offered Tuesday, Sept. 15, from 1 to 2 pm, with a Zoom meeting format. Participants can join at home, at the Churdan public library, or the Greene County Extension & Outreach office in Jefferson.
Presented by ISU Extension and Outreach human sciences specialist Kalyn Cody, “Money Smart” will provide participants with tips to protect their assets from scams. The program will explain how a scam occurs and how to report them to the officials.
Persons who want more information or to register can contact the Lori Mannel at the Greene County Extension office at 515-386-2138 by Sept. 14. The workshop is free of charge thanks to sponsorship by United Bank of Iowa, Churdan.
