October 30, 2026 – Longmeadow, Massachusetts – In a room full of 30 seniors, Assistant District Attorney Nina Vivenzio recently led the Hampden District Attorney’s Office Education Against Senior Exploitation (EASE) program at the Longmeadow Adult Center.
EASE addresses the senior population of Hampden County regarding scams, financial exploitation, and physical abuse.
Vivenzio, who specializes in elder abuse, spoke to the crowd in Longmeadow about protecting themselves against various types of scams. For instance, she asked participants if they were familiar with the “grandparent scam,” which many were.
Vivenzio explained that the “grandparent scam” is commonly used by scammers calling and pretending to be that individual’s grandchild, saying they’ve been in an accident, it was their fault, and that they’re in jail and need bail money – sometimes upwards of tens of thousands of dollars.
In addition to phone calls, Vivenzio said scams most often come in the form of an email or text message.
Some of the “red flags” people can identify when trying to determine if it is a scam is if something is received unexpectedly – such as a bill, checking for misspellings in an email or text, and calling a source directly – like a credit card company – to confirm any information.
Another scam mentioned by Vivenzio are “romance scams,” particularly for those utilizing online dating. She explained that this scam often includes talking to someone, appreciating the attention, and eventually wanting to meet in person but the “scammer” does not want to, and wishes to continue the relationship online, while asking for personal information. Vivenzio identified this as another red flag that seniors should look out for.
She reiterated the importance of never sharing personal information via email, over the phone, or in a text message.
“Educating seniors about scams and exploitation is critical to protecting some of the most vulnerable members of our community,” said Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni. “The more we can help seniors recognize the warning signs, the better we can prevent them from becoming victims.”
He continued, “I want to thank ADA Nina Vivenzio for leading the important EASE presentation and for her continued commitment to protecting our seniors.”
EASE is one of many free programs the Hampden District Attorney’s Office offers to promote education and prevention across the county.
For more information about EASE, or to request a presentation at your local senior center, contact Hampden District Attorney’s Office Deputy Director of Community Safety & Outreach Gina Anselmo at gina.anselmo@mass.gov.
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