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Protecting seniors from fraud

The Delta Seniors Planning Team, in partnership with Delta Police Victim Services, is hosting a workshop series to help seniors avoid becoming victims of financial fraud. The workshops will be held on Thursday, Nov. 1 and Thursday, Nov. 8 at 7: 15 p.

The Delta Seniors Planning Team, in partnership with Delta Police Victim Services, is hosting a workshop series to help seniors avoid becoming victims of financial fraud.

The workshops will be held on Thursday, Nov. 1 and Thursday, Nov. 8 at 7: 15 p.m. at the Ladner Pioneer Library.

Older adults are increasingly becoming victims of financial fraud, identity theft, telemarketing scams and other crime that may result in the loss of life savings. Sadly, in some cases the person committing the fraud may be a family member.

Often times, a senior is too embarrassed or humiliated to ask for help, but with education and access to community resources, there are many things seniors can do to protect themselves.

Protect Yourself! workshops, developed by the B.C. Centre for Elder Advocacy and Support, provide older adults with the information they need to protect their finances, recognize and respond to financial abuse, access community resources for further information or assistance, and make informed financial decisions.

The first workshop will cover different types of powers of attorney, legal issues of capacity relating to powers of attorney, common myths that can lead to abuse, the dangers of joint accounts and the importance of advanced planning.

The workshop on Nov. 8 will deal with frauds, scams, identity theft and telemarketing. It will include topics such as common scams targeting older adults, strategies to protect personal information and the National Do-Not-Call List.

Delta police Const. Steve Wilson, responsible for economic/technical crime, often investigates crimes where older adults have been victimized. He will be on hand to provide local information and answer questions.

The Delta Seniors Planning Team, formed in 2009, educates, informs and mobilizes Delta residents and decision makers to respond to issues affecting seniors in Delta.

The workshops are free. Seniors, family members and caregivers are invited.

For more information, call 604-946-9526 or e-mail lynw@deltassist.com.

The Delta Seniors Planning Team is funded by the United Way of the Lower Mainland.