In just over a week, at a gathering in Newton, you can learn about all the latest scams to get your money and how not to fall victim to them. Iowa’s Attorney General, the State’s Insurance Commissioner, and the A-A-R-P State Director are going across the State hosting informational sessions to educate people about scams. One of those free open to the public sessions will be at Newton’s DMACC Conference Center…in room 210…at 1p.m. Tuesday March 5th. A-A-R-P Director Brad Anderson says some of the newest scams involve A-I…which stands for Artificial Intelligence…and usually grandparents.
Anderson says this is referred to as an imposter scam.
Doug Ommen is the State’s Insurance Commissioner. He says people need to be aware how elaborate some scams can be.
Ommen claims his office has worked with securities broker dealers and investment advisors in the State for years…to help thwart scammers and get them off the internet and behind bars.
According to Ommrn, the new Department of Insurance and Financial services has people working with the banking and credit union industries to get them immersed into the fight. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird says the scammers don’t care how old a person is, they just want to get your money.
Bird stresses getting a person’s money back isn’t easy, especially if the scam is run from a foreign country.
According to Bird…10-billion dollars was stolen nationwide by scammers just last year. And that’s just the scams that were reported. The so-called “Stop the Scammers Road Show” will also hold information sessions in Ames, Carroll, Cedar Rapids Coralville, Council Bluffs, Creston, Davenport, Dubuque, Johnston, Marshalltown, Mason City, Mt. Pleasant, Ottumwa, Sioux City, and Waterloo. Go online to www.iowafraudfighters.gov to find out how to sign up for Newton’s stop…or any of the others. Dates…times…and the locations of all the other stops are also listed there.