To the editor:
On Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015, Judy Shaw, Maine Office of Securities Administrator, and David Leach, Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection Examiner, participated in a live AARP Maine-sponsored tele-town hall. The spotlight was on scams, identity theft and fraud — crimes that result in Americans losing billions of dollars every year. Nine thousand AARP members from across the state joined the tele-town hall.
The focus was on common scams and fraud in Maine and how Mainers of all ages can protect themselves from these crimes.
During the call, AARP members were able to pose questions of Ms. Shaw and Mr. Leach. Participants were reminded that placing a freeze on their credit report, now free in the state of Maine thanks to a new law, is the one of the most effective ways to protect oneself from identity theft. For information on placing the freeze, visit www.aarp.org/me or call the Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection at 1-800-332-8529.
In 2014, AARP Maine released a survey of Maine registered voters age 50 and older which included statistics concerning residents’ experiences with scams. According to the survey, four out of 10 registered voters in Maine age 50 and older have encountered a fraud or scam or know someone else who has in the past five years.
A more recent Maine survey released on Nov. 24 found that 63 percent of Maine consumers failed a quiz about how to stay safe from common holiday scams, with many respondents regularly engaging in behaviors which put them at risk of being victimized by con artists.
