TREENA MIELKE/Rimbey Review
Seniors in Rimbey had an opportunity April 13 to learn more about financial fraud and identity theft at a seminar sponsored by the Three Hills RCMP and Servus Credit Union.
The seminar, presented by Shelley Coates, corporate security fraud officer at Servus, was held at the Rimbey Drop In Centre, and attracted about 50 seniors.
After the seminar, Gail Lekas, manager at the Rimbey branch, said the presentation provided valuable information that would be helpful to all seniors. She encourages any senior with questions concerning financial fraud to contact their local financial institution and the police.
She said older adults are often targets for financial abuse because they may be living alone, often rely on others, are financially dependent, have an inherent trust of people and are less familiar with technology than the younger generation.
Types of financial fraud, identity theft and current scams were also discussed at the seminar.
Lekas said it is estimated that as many as 456,000 seniors in Canada are experiencing or have experienced abuse or neglect. About 80 per cent of abuse or neglect goes undetected.