S.A.F.E Kickoff
85 people attended the Scam Awareness For Elders (S.A.F.E) Kickoff event at SALA Event Center on Wednesday, January 29.
The film Thelma was shown and followed by a special presentation on scam prevention by Special Agent Ryan Davis from the Albuquerque FBI office. You can view the full presentation on Youtube here and the slides from Agent Davis here.
There are several upcoming Scam Awareness For Elders events. Please call 505-662-8920 to sign up or learn more about these programs.
On Tuesday, February 11 from 1:00-2:00pm a representative from AARP will give a presentation of Romance Scams at Betty Ehart Senior Activity Center. Also known as Confidence Scams, scammers will use the loneliness and isolation experienced by many older adults to con them out of money. By using a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust, the scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to steal from the victim. This type of scam often goes unreported, making it an important topic for scam prevention. In addition to raising awareness about scams’ impact on older adults, S.A.F.E seeks to reduce the stigma and shame associated with being scammed.
Another workshop will be offered at Betty Ehart Senior Activity Center on Thursday, April 24 from 1:30-2:30pm on an Introduction to AI by librarians from the Los Alamos Public Library. If you are curious about AI, this presentation is for you. This session for beginners is designed to demystify generative AI, breaking down complex concepts into understandable terms. Participants will gain valuable insights into how AI is reshaping various aspects of our lives. With scammers increasingly using AI to con people, this workshop provides important context to understanding the current landscape of scams.
There is also the S.A.F.E. Book Club where participants will read books relating to scam prevention and join together for a lively discussion. The Betty Ehart and White Rock Senior Activity Centers will alternate hosting the S.A.F.E. Book Club throughout 2025. The first book the group will read is Scam Me If You Can by Frank W. Abagnale. Participants will receive a free copy of the book. The first three dates for the book club are: Tuesday, March 11 from 1:30-3:00pm (Betty Ehart), Tuesday, April 8 from 1:30-3:00pm (White Rock), and Tuesday, May 13 from 1:30-3:00pm (Betty Ehart).
The Scam Awareness For Elders (S.A.F.E.) initiative is a community response to the increasing prevalence of scams targeting the elderly population and the need for proactive measures to protect vulnerable individuals. The programs are free and open to anyone who has an interest in the topic of scam prevention.