Doug Dickerson, State Director,
AARP North Carolina
All too often, North Carolinians are falling prey to scams and cons that are threatening both our financial and retirement security. The North Carolina Department of Justice (NCDOJ), just one of many state agencies handling consumer fraud complaints, received nearly 66,000 reports of identity theft and fraud according to recent information compiled by the NCDOJ and Consumer Sentinel.
In fact, every two seconds, someone’s identity is stolen in the United States. That’s why AARP launched the free Fraud Watch Network—to arm people of all ages with the tools they need to spot and avoid scams.
AARP was founded more than 50 years ago because its founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, found one of her former teachers living in a chicken coop. She was appalled. Here was a woman who had worked her entire life, and she couldn’t afford housing. Dr. Andrus founded AARP to protect the financial security of Americans. Its Fraud Watch Network helps people protect the money they’ve earned so they can realize their real possibilities and live their best life.
With the AARP Fraud Watch Network, people receive free real-time alerts about the latest scams, tips on how to spot them, and the inside scoop on how con artists think so you can outsmart them before they strike.
The Network’s nationwide scam tracking map gives you access to a network of people who’ve spotted scams and the opportunity to pass along your own experiences, so together we can beat con artists at their own game.
To take it one step further, the Network also includes The Con Artist Playbook, interviews with con artists who reveal how they steal your money, and a fraud hotline where you can call to talk to a trained volunteer for advice if you are worried that you or a loved one has been scammed or if you suspect a scam in your community.
Best of all, it is free for everyone. Anyone, of any age, can access our resources at no cost, so sign up today.
With our fraud-fighting efforts, AARP is doing its part to help protect people’s money. But we need the help of the state. Although multiple agencies, including North Carolina’s Department of Justice, Department of Insurance, Department of Health and Human Services, as well as local and federal law enforcement, are all playing a role in fraud prevention and prosecution, their efforts are largely uncoordinated; more can be done to organize a stronger defense. We are asking the current state legislature to provide the resources and coordination that will make these efforts most effective.
Learn how AARP members across North Carolina are working to stop consumer fraud and other ways AARP is working to improve your financial security by signing up for our advocacy alerts at http://action.aarp.org.