Chaffee County Public Health is pleased to announce that we are offering an interactive presentation that will inform older adults about the most common scams targeting older Coloradans and “red flags” of fraud.

According to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), scammers stole over $74.4 million from older Colorado residents in 2024. A 2024 AARP ElderWatch survey found that three-quarters of Coloradans believe scams and fraud have reached a crisis level. Molly Bischoff, the Aging Well Coordinator/Health Navigator for CCPH shared, “Unfortunately, I have had many conversations with community members that have fallen prey to these scams. In some of these cases the financial loss appears to pale in comparison to the shame and embarrassment that comes from being taken advantage of”.

The days presenter, Mark Fetterhoff is the Program Manager for AARP ElderWatch and has worked on education and outreach to older adults for over 15 years.  Mark currently works with a crew of dedicated volunteers to address thousands of inquiries each month about fraud, scams and financial exploitation as part of AARP’s fraud helplines.

AARP offers its ElderWatch program for older Coloradans who need assistance or have questions about a potential scam. A trained volunteer specialist can be reached at 1-800-222-4444. 

Location: Colorado Mountain College in Salida, 349 E 9th St, Salida, CO 81201