LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Kentuckians lost more than $72 million last year to fraud, according to sources, with adults over the age of 60 reporting fraud more than any other age group.
Chase Bank and Lexington Police met at the Lexington Senior Center Tuesday to address that statistic ahead of what officials call a busy scam season.
“I’ve been involved with a few little scams, almost. And it’s fearful. I mean, you feel like you lose your integrity. You feel ashamed and embarrassed,” said Susan Higdon.
Higdon is one of many seniors filling the room at the Lexington Senior Center because they’ve been contacted by scammers.
“Oh, Medicaid. I was shocked that I got a call that said that I owed so much money and I needed to pay it. It was so scary because they had the information. They had my name. They had the date. They had the test,” Higdon said.
Education focuses on online safety
Jennifer Hicks, Chase Bank Community Manager, said the presentation covers online safety, social media safety, shopping online and banking online.
“Really, what are the frauds that are happening out in the community? We want to get them prepared for that,” Hicks said.
All types of scams are discussed in the presentation, with tips and tricks on how to avoid them, including artificial intelligence scams.
“AI, artificial intelligence, can be a really good thing. It makes businesses really efficient, but there’s also a lot of risk, so we want to make sure that people know about it,” Hicks said.
The holiday season typically brings more scams, according to officials.
Sgt. Ben Baker with the Lexington Police Department’s Financial Crimes Unit said the department takes scam calls seriously.
“We’ve actually seen a major increase in those. And it’s coming to the point where it’s very hard to tell what’s real and what’s not. So we always recommend that people take a step back and think about what they are doing,” Baker said.
The Lexington Police Department said it will speak to groups about financial crimes prevention. Those interested can contact the department.
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