FBI Senior Agent Jessica Weisman speaks to seniors at a Longport Library lunch and learn about hot to protect themselves against elder fraud.
By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY
LONGPORT – More than 60 senior citizens Wednesday enjoyed a light lunch at Borough Hall and learned about how to protect themselves against elder fraud. The Longport Public Library arranged the lunch and learn to provide seniors with information about how they can avoid becoming victims of crime.
According to Longport Ptl. Officer Frank Lupperger, the session was a result of teamwork. Library director Ricky Gerhardt asked Chief Frank Culmone for resources on the topic, and Culmone contacted the local FBI office in Linwood to speak at the meeting, which was held in Commission Chambers.
Nearly every seat was taken as residents listened intently to the ways criminals, mostly from overseas, perpetrate fraud on the elderly. Some raised their hand to ask questions and others shared their own experiences.
“We’re fighting a worldwide problem,” Senior Supervisory Agent Jessica Weisman said.
There were more than 2.6 million reported cases of identity theft in seniors over age 65, she said.
“These numbers are low,” Weisman said. “They only include the crimes that were reported to the FBI, and they don’t include crimes reported to local or state police.”
Most of the perpetrators are located in foreign countries, such as Russia, China, Nigeria and Ghana. The COVID-19 pandemic provided the…
