Miller County helps seniors protect themselves against fraud
By Emily Thompson
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Oct. 31, 2017
Fast Facts:
- Seniors are often lucrative targets for identity theft. Last year, over 150,000 people 50 years or older reported filed an identity fraud case.
- The Miller County Extension office has teamed up with the Arkansas Attorney General’s office to create workshop to teach seniors how to avoid falling prey to identity theft.
- The Texarkana Police Department will also be there for a drug take back opportunity where seniors can turn in their unneeded prescription medications for safe disposal.
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TEXARKANA, Ark. — With just a few pieces of vital information, an identity thief has everything he or she needs to open credit cards in your name, access your bank accounts and ruin your credit.
From elaborate email and telephone schemes to security breaches in retailers and credit bureaus, identity theft is one of the fasted growing crimes in the U.S. and it seems like identity theft is always a looming risk. Senior citizens are particularly vulnerable to fraud.
According to the 2016 FTC Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book, over 150,000 of the identity theft cases last year were reported by people 50 years or older. That’s about 40 percent of all reported identity theft cases.
Seniors tend to have larger checking and savings accounts and usually don’t stay on top of the latest telephone and website and email phishing scams, making them lucrative victims for identity fraud according to the DMV.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service is taking steps to help Arkansas seniors safeguard themselves against identity fraud.
The Miller County Extension Office has teamed up with the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office to create a workshop for seniors about identity theft.
As a part of their speaking tour around Arkansas, Dwayne Yarborough, community educator in the Office of Attorney General, will teach seniors steps they can take to protect their identity and what to do if they do become victims of identity fraud.
Carla Hadley, Miller County staff chair, said that the event will give seniors an opportunity to not only learn about services available to them, but also allow them to ask questions.
“They will get the opportunity to talk to the Attorney General’s Office face to face and ask questions about identity theft and the services the Cooperative Extension Service provides,” Hadley said.
The Texarkana Police Department will also be there for a drug take back where seniors can turn in their unneeded prescription medications for safe disposal.
The workshop will take place from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. on Nov. 2 at the Senior Citizen Center, 1007 Jefferson Ave. Texarkana, Arkansas.
For more information, contact the Miller County Extension Office at 870-779-3609.
To learn more about identity theft and fraud prevention, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media Contact: Mary Hightower
Dir. of Communication Services
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2126
mhightower@uada.edu
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