AARP West Virginia Hosts Record Crowd at Charleston Consumer University
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2006-11-30 15:10:07.285064-05:00
More than 350 consumers are now better equipped to protect their identities, monitor their credit reports and make safe investments after a record crowd attended AARP West Virginia's Consumer University at the Charleston Marriott Town Center on Nov. 2.
More than 350 people registered for the free one-day workshop, making it the largest "Scam Jam" in the program's five-year history. Local radio personality Mike Agnello, co-host of WCHS-AM's "58 Live" was the moderator for the event.
"Consumer protection is a top priority for AARP West Virginia," said Ruth Wagner, AARP West Virginia State President. "We believe that by promoting community awareness, we can encourage consumers to take a more active role in protecting themselves. We are convinced that the best consumer is a well-informed consumer."
AARP West Virginia, the West Virginia Attorney General's Office and several local agencies teamed up to help West Virginia seniors learn how to resist Internet scams, deter identity theft and protect their credit during the "Scam Jam" at Consumer University.
"Nationwide, consumer frauds and scams cost consumers over $40 billion each year," Wagner told the crowd. "In West Virginia, because of our significant senior population, we are particularly vulnerable to scam artists trying to trick our older residents and other consumers out of their hard-earned money."
Attorney General Darrell McGraw, Auditor Glen Gainer and First Lady Gayle Manchin were among the speakers at the event. Seniors who attended Consumer University received a free copy of their credit report, learned how to read it and how to correct errors. ExecuTrain, a local company, provided computers and printers to generate credit reports.
AARP State Director Frank Bellinetti told the Consumer University "students" that the event would not be possible without the work of many AARP volunteers.
"Volunteers and volunteerism are central to our work at AARP," Bellinetti said. "We have the power to make it better because of our volunteers. They are our heart, our muscle and our brains. Volunteers are indispensable in carrying out our social mission."
The West Virginia Attorney General's Office conducted a fun, interactive "Credit Quiz" game to teach the fundamentals of maintaining good credit, and the West Virginia Treasurer's Office conducted unclaimed property searches for attendees.
Andres Castillo, an AARP national expert on financial security, conducted a session on internet safety. The West Virginia Secretary of State's Office also conducted voting machine demonstrations.
Robert Jeffries of the U.S. Social Security Administration—always a popular speaker at senior events—provided tips on avoiding identity theft and keeping your Social Security number safe.
AARP West Virginia began Consumer University in 2002 with an event in Parkersburg. Consumer University programs have also been held in Beckley, Martinsburg and Charleston in previous years. The November 2 Charleston event was the fourth and final "Scam Jam" this year. Events were held in Huntington, Wheeling and Bluefield earlier this year.
There are currently more than 300,000 AARP members in West Virginia.
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