Sheriff Koutoujian, Chief Sacco speak with Medford seniors about scam awareness
MEDFORD, Mass. - Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian and Medford Police Chief Leo Sacco met with seniors at the Medford Senior Center on Tuesday, June 21, to discuss new and emerging scams targeting residents of all ages.
The event, hosted by the Medford Council on Aging, was part of the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office L.E.A.R.N. (Law Enforcement And Residents Networking) Program. The L.E.A.R.N. Program focuses on educating and informing the public through collaboration, and engaging community members in dialogue around public safety matters.
“Those who would steal our hard-earned money are becoming more advanced in their methods,” warned Sheriff Koutoujian, “It used to be scams focused on false promises of riches. Now they focus on intimidation and threats. No one, most especially our seniors, should be subject to this type of harassment.”
“I am so pleased to be part of this important initiative,” said Medford Mayor Stephanie Muccini Burke, who also participated in the program. “Our seniors are a vital part of our community and their safety and wellbeing are something that is very important to us all.”
“Crime is crime. We have to be diligent when fighting all crime. Our seniors deserve all our attention in helping to fight senior scams,” said Chief Sacco.
Intimidation-based scams are on the rise in Middlesex County and throughout the country. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received 269,422 complaints in 2014, with victims reporting over $800 million dollars in losses. In Massachusetts - according to IC3 - exactly 1,000 seniors filed scam complaints in 2014. Their reported losses totaled over $1.5 million dollars, or $1,500 per senior.
“This is an area where we must all be vigilant,” said Sheriff Koutoujian, “Unfortunately, a scammer can make 100 calls a day and only needs to be successful once to make his payday. Citizens have to be successful every single time in order to avoid a significant loss.”
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