- April 25, 2024
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City Commissioner Troy Kent told a story at a recent commission meeting of a senior woman who realized when she had been scammed. She received a call saying there were “questionable things” going on with her computer. The caller said if she didn’t pay some money, the authorities would come to arrest her.
She knew it was a scam, because she didn’t own a computer.
Kent related this story to stress the importance of upcoming quarterly workshops that are planned by Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida in a partnership with the city.
Called Elder Smart, the first workshop will be 3:30 to 5 p.m. on June 2 in Conference Room 103, City Hall, 22 S. Beach St. The room is located just before the elevator on the first floor when entering City Hall from the breezeway along the courtyard.
Workshops will change each quarter and topics will include identity theft, home improvement scams, predatory mortgage loans, foreclosure scams, lottery scams, utility insurance scams and credit repair services.
“This is a topic that is very important to our senior residents in Ormond Beach,” said Commissioner Bill Partington. “Having been a prosecutor with some experience in elder exploitation, I can tell you financial
“I can tell you financial scams with the elderly go largely unreported for a variety of reasons.”
BILL PARTINGTON, city commissioner.
scams with the elderly go largely unreported for a variety of reasons. Some folks may be embarrassed about what happened. Some people may not realized what happened.”
He said several years ago he attended a seminar where tapes were played of phone calls to the elderly.
“I can only tell you it’s chilling to listen to what happened,” he said. “It goes on to this very day. You’ve seen in the paper about the recent IRS scams. It doesn’t have to be the elderly but frequently it can be.”
He said the seminar will provide tips and techniques in avoiding the crimes.
During each workshop, a specific legal topic will be presented by a pro bono attorney, and individuals will be able to ask questions.
If attendees wish to meet one-on-one with a pro bono attorney regarding their specific situation, they will need to indicate so on the sign-in sheet upon their arrival and they will be contacted at a later date, by phone, to have an intake completed to establish eligibility for services, according to the legal services agency.
