On January 28, the Villages Study Groups Club, in conjunction with US Bank, presented a program on Fraud Prevention. With new and more devious methods of siphoning off money from unsuspecting individuals, we need to be more aware of sophisticated scams and the risks they present.
The program, led by bank manager Olga Dandoy and her assistant, Lizzie, addressed an audience of more than two dozen who learned many tips on how to protect themselves against various financial scams. An actual case, involving a Villager, highlighted the need to learn all we can to protect our finances. This case described what happened to her despite her skills as a former accountant. She was scammed by a “lovely” woman who was only too glad “to help her.” The take-away was that this could happen to any of us and how important it is to be conversant with how and with whom we share our finances. We need to protect our assets and should take time before reacting. The financial 3 Rs strategy (recognize, react and report) were emphasized for us to use if something suspicious comes to us via email, texts, telephone calls, or a troubling bank statement.
