Placer PROTECT fraud alert effort launched

Educating seniors on scams

AUBURN, Calif. – The Placer County District Attorney’s Office Placer PROTECT team has launched a new effort to educate senior citizens on scams affecting their communities.

“As we head into the holiday season it is important to know what to look for when it comes to fraud alerts our team is tracking,” said Shannon Quigley, deputy district attorney for the Placer County District Attorney’s Office. “Placer PROTECT works around the clock to ensure our senior citizens have all the resources they need to protect them from falling victims to scams.”

This week, their new online video series Placer PROTECT Presents will feature Roseville Police Department Detective Alana Grove to discuss scams affecting local communities. The episode will be posted on their Facebook page and website on Dec. 8 at 1 p.m.

Also, Placer PROTECT launched a new fraud alert webpage, http://www.placer.ca.gov/FraudAlerts, that lists various scams that the team is tracking. This resource is in addition to their Fraud Alert Hotline, email alert system and fraud updates on their Facebook page.

One in 10 adults in the United States will fall victim to fraud every year. That figure is only rising and jumped by 34% in 2018, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The vast majority of that fraud takes place online. When it comes to victims of doorstep fraud, 85% are over the age of 65. Scam calls alone in the United States caused total losses of about $10.5 billion in 2019.

To ensure the safety and protection of the county’s senior citizens, the Placer County District Attorney’s Office established Placer County PROTECT, a multi-disciplinary task force team dedicated to elder abuse investigations, victim support and community awareness. PROTECT stands for providing resources and outreach to elderly citizens together. This team is composed of the District Attorney’s Office, victim services, adult protective services, local law enforcement agencies, nonprofit organizations and community representatives.

Placer PROTECT Presents is an online senior citizen video series intended to educate residents about issues affecting the senior citizens in the county.