Charlie Newcomer and his wife, Carolyn, checked in at the Franklin Police Department to learn new ways criminals have been targeting the senior crowd to commit fraud.
"I like to feel like I'm aware, but you never know," Charlie said on Wednesday.
They know first hand how it can impact loved ones.
"We have some friends that got scammed. They lost everything," he said.
People in every age group have fallen victim to fraud; however, seniors tend to become a bigger target.
There's more than a dozen scams that have targeted this age group: investment fraud, charity fraud, healthcare fraud, tech support scams, and identity theft have been just a few on that list. In 2015 alone, 13.1 million Americans were victims of identity theft.
Fraud cases have been rising across the nation.
"In Franklin it's gone up quite a bit," Detective Chad Pace with the Franklin Police Department said.
To prevent fraud, protect your personal information, like your social security number, keep a close eye on your financial accounts, and do not carry your pins or passwords in a wallet or purse. Nomorobo.com can help get rid of those unwanted phone calls, and there's always this age old advice.
"If it sounds to good to be true then it is too good to be true," Charlie said.
A few more public forums and free shredding events have been scheduled in November to educate the public on fraud prevention.
On November 19, there's Free Shredding Events from 9 a.m. to 1p.m. in a few location across the Mid-State, including at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds (Wilson Hall), at Old Fort Park in Murfreesboro, and at City Hall in Clarksville.
