Parker Cosimano from Omaha, a middle schooler from Nebraska, was motivated to create a scam awareness flyer after his grandmother fell prey to a scam. He decided to take action by creating a scam prevention flyer and personally distributing it on foot at senior centers. His efforts to raise awareness about scams and protect older adults from falling prey to them are commendable.
The “A Senior’s Guide to Scam Prevention” poster created by Cosimano received an immense boost from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). They went the extra mile to ensure that the poster was available in every senior center throughout Nebraska. Now, the BBB is extending their help to the seniors in Kansas by making the poster accessible to them as well.
According to Josh Planos, the Communications Director at BBB, the main objective was to simplify the process of reporting one’s experience. This is where the QR code at the bottom of the flyer becomes a crucial aspect, making it effortless for people to report their experience.
The BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report for Older Adults in 2023.
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- People ages 65+ reported a higher median dollar loss ($109) than the overall median dollar loss, but they reported a lower susceptibility (percentage of those who reported losing money when targeted by a scam) than consumers overall.
- A higher percentage of people over the age of 65 reported being targeted via social media in 2023 than the year before. This age group was more likely to report losing money than other age groups when contacted by phone or via online classifieds.
- Individuals 65+ were more likely to report paying scammers via credit card, prepaid/gift card, and check than other age groups.