Conquering Financial Abuse in Metro Detroit Seniors; Free Workshop Feb. 28
Gesher Human Services, one of the largest human service agencies in metro Detroit, is offering an in-person workshop at its headquarters in Southfield (29699 Southfield Road) to provide seniors with information on the latest financial scams they could face including those from AI, such as cloned voices. Participants will also learn how to recognize if they are the victim of financial fraud from family members or other caregivers and what they can do to protect themselves. The program, open to seniors and family members, will be on Fri. Feb. 28 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reported in 2023 that while individuals under the age of 20 were least impacted by scams and fraud (only 18,000 reported victims), for those 60 years old and older there were more than 101,000 reported victims. A 2024 report on financial elder abuse by Thomson Reuters said that older people were most likely to be targeted because they have more disposable income, are less knowledgeable about technology and are more likely to be seeking companionship or connection online. If they are the victim of financial crime, they may want to keep the information private.