A “fraud fighters forum” was held in Davenport as cybercrimes among older Americans rose by more than 60% in 2021, according to AARP.
DAVENPORT, Iowa — The Iowa Insurance Division (IID) held a fraud fighters forum on Tuesday, June 7, to help educate Iowans against a rising trend in cybercrimes against older Americans.
Attendees received a presentation, panelist questions and a complimentary lunch, put on by the IID, law enforcement partners and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office.
According to AARP, in 2021, Americans ages 50 and older lost nearly $3 billion to cybercrimes, a 62% increase from 2020’s data.
“We really encourage people to double-check, double-check, double-check,” said Doug Ommen, Iowa insurance commissioner. “We’ve become accustomed to doing commerce through the internet and scammers know that. They’re going to use that to their advantage in order to take money from you.”
He says it’s best to always be on alert for fraud, as the backstory scammers use will often vary to fit whatever is dominating news cycles.
“Currently we’re seeing high energy prices and so alternative energy investments are becoming very common,” Ommen said.
During the pandemic, he saw…
