Summit focuses on protecting against fraud

The second annual Senior Fraud Protection Summit on April 1 is designed to provide information about how to protect against fraud scams that target seniors.

My Glacier Village is organizing the event in partnership with Flathead Electric Cooperative, Glacier Bank, Merrill Lynch and Nonprofit Tech Services. The partner organizations want to increase awareness and education to reduce and eliminate the theft that can greatly impact their older clients. The event will help people understand how to recognize and protect themselves from fraud and scams.

The summit is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Arts and Technology Building on the Flathead Valley Community College campus in Kalispell.

The keynote speaker for the event will be Jake Griffith, supervising attorney with the Montana Department of Justice Office of Consumer Protection.

Frank Garner, former Montana State Representative, will lead a panel of specialists who will focus on fraud scams that target seniors, provide tips on how to avoid becoming a victim, discuss resources to assist seniors, and a question/answer session.

Each year more and more individuals are victims of some type of financial fraud. According to the FBI, 406 seniors in Montana reported losses of almost $5.5 million in 2021.

Seniors are often targeted because they tend to be trusting and polite, and usually have financial savings, own a home, and have good credit.

Built for seniors by seniors, My Glacier Village is a local chapter of a national nonprofit organization where seniors have a sense of belonging and everyone has something to contribute. The organization provides the connections, education and support that seniors in the Flathead Valley community need to remain confident in their own homes.

Glacier Village Founder and Board Chair Jenn Prunty said conversations about fraud is one that everyone should be having.

“We initiated the conversation about senior fraud last year and are thrilled to continue this awareness and education about this increasing theft that can easily devastate lives,” she said.

Complimentary copies of “Fighting Fraud: Top Scams in 2021” by the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging will be available to participants.

Light refreshments including pastries, fruit and coffee will be served. Pre-registration is required by visiting www.myglacier.com/events or by calling 406-250-8784.