The U.S. Attorney’s Office kicked off outreach efforts to educate older West Virginians about the dangers of financial fraud.

United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld led the first in a series of planned outreach events at The Villages at Heritage Point in Morgantown. Ihlenfeld spoke to residents about the different ways they could become targets of fraudsters and gave tips on how to best protect against the dangers. Residents were also treated to an educational bingo game about the topic.

“Unfortunately, cases of seniors being victimized by loved ones or caretakers are common in West Virginia, as are scams committed by strangers,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. “Our seniors are trusting, they’re good listeners, they answer the phone when it rings, and many have accumulated savings. The attributes that make older West Virginians so wonderful also make them the targets of criminals.”

More events are planned across the Northern District of West Virginia and will be held at assisted living facilities and senior independent living communities.

The outreach is a part of the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative combatting elder abuse, neglect, financial fraud and scams that target our nation’s older adults.

For more information about the Northern District of West Virginia’s elder justice work, go to www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/programs/elder-justice.

To report elder financial fraud, call the U.S. Attorney’s office at 304-234-0100.