Regional News From the AARP Bulletin

Source: AARP.org | November 9, 2006

September 2007

On guard – More than 5,000 state residents are victims of identity theft every year, says state Attorney General Rob McKenna, R. To help consumers and businesses spot and stop identity theft, AARP Washington, the Attorney General's Office and the Federal Trade Commission have teamed up to present “Guard It! Washington,” a series of educational sessions across the state.

The events are free, and at some locations participants can bring up to three grocery bags or two file boxes of bills, bank statements and other papers to shred. Sessions are scheduled in Shoreline, Sept. 4; Vancouver, Sept. 6; Sequim, Sept. 19; Olympia, Oct. 4; East Wenatchee, Oct. 11; and Oak Harbor, Oct. 18. For details and reservations, call the AARP Fraud Fighter Call Center at 1-800-646-2283.

— Reports by Donnan Runkel

July 2007

Scam savvy... In a recent AARP survey most Washington investors flunked a financial literacy quiz, although those burned by investment fraud scored higher than nonvictims. In Washington, the typical investment fraud victim is 55, male, married and employed, the survey showed.

To help consumers improve their financial savvy, AARP and the state Department of Financial Institutions have launched a campaign to help Washingtonians not only evaluate investment opportunities but also recognize and foil the tactics scammers use. “Many con artists use sophisticated forms of persuasion to rip off consumers,” says Doug Shadel, AARP state director. “We’re showing people how to resist them.”

To order a free copy of AARP Washington’s “Invest Wise” booklet and “Stolen Futures” DVD, call 1-800-646-2283.

May 2007

Rx relief... On July 1, low-income older or disabled Washingtonians who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid will be relieved of making copayments for prescription drugs. Many of these so-called dual eligibles live on less than $600 a month, and some take as many as 15 medications a day. They did not have to make copays until 2006, when the Medicare prescription drug law took effect, requiring a $1 copay for generics and a $3 copay for brand-name drugs.

Gov. Christine Gregoire, D, signed a law in February establishing a state program to cover copays for about 100,000 dual eligibles. AARP supported the measure. “True leadership is marked by compassion,” says Lauren Moughon, AARP Washington’s associate state director for advocacy.

April 2007

Caution: Hot tips... Help is on the way for Washington consumers who want to maximize their life savings and don’t know where to turn for investment advice. AARP Washington has launched an “Invest Wise Washington” campaign, featuring seminars designed to help consumers protect themselves from unsafe investment schemes and prepare for a financially secure future. AARP is working with the state Department of Financial Institutions to provide participants with the tools they need to evaluate potential investments. Participants will receive a free “Invest Wise” booklet and an educational DVD. The seminars are free of charge, but registration is required. For dates, times, locations and an online registration form, go to www.aarp.org/wa. Or call 1-877-926-8300 toll free.

March 2007

New ways to save... State lawmakers are considering an innovative proposal to make it easier for Washingtonians to save for retirement. The legislation (HB 2044) would create Washington Voluntary Retirement Accounts, a state-based individual retirement savings system offering 401(k) plans to most state residents who do not have a retirement savings plan at work. The system would give small businesses a way to provide retirement benefits for their employees and would make a variety of plans available to the self-employed. All participation would be voluntary. Of U.S. workers ages 45 to 54, only 30 percent have saved more than $100,000 for retirement, while 43 percent have saved less than $25,000. AARP Washington and other pension advocates support the legislation. To encourage lawmakers to pass it, call 1-800-562-6000. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/wa.

-Report by Donya Currie Arias

February 2007

Everybody freeze... This legislative session, AARP Washington is pushing state lawmakers to make it possible for all residents to place a security freeze on their credit reports, blocking identity thieves from opening and using new accounts in other people’s names. Current law allows only victims of identity theft to place such a freeze, which prohibits credit-reporting agencies from releasing a consumer’s personal financial information to a third party—such as a department store—without the consumer’s consent. In a recent survey of Washington adults, 85 percent said they would support such proposed legislation and 79 percent said they would freeze their credit reports if they could. AARP Washington is working with Attorney General Rob McKenna, R, to persuade legislators to extend the security freeze option to all consumers.

January 2007

Dialing against fraud... From a new Fraud Fighter Call Center set up by AARP Washington and the state Attorney General’s Office, trained volunteers have begun calling consumers to offer tips on how to recognize and “just say no” to scams. Using telephone lists seized during law enforcement raids on illicit telemarketing operations, the Fraud Fighters plan to call more than 100,000 people in 2007.

A recent AARP survey found that nearly three-quarters of Washington adults fear an older family member or friend could become a fraud victim. “One of our members discovered her uncle had already put $35,000 into a phony Canadian Lottery scam and was still playing to win,” says AARP Washington spokesman Jason Erskine. “If people are concerned about someone they know being victimized, we hope they’ll call us.”

To learn more or for free consumer protection materials, go to www.aarp.org/wa.

November 2006

Combating cyberfraud...In Washington state, where the percentage of households with Internet access ranks fourth highest in the nation, residents face a higher risk of online fraud, according to a recent AARP survey. Internet fraud is a $14 billion-a-year problem nationwide, and victims face an average loss of nearly $2,000.

The survey report, “Caught in the Net,” sheds light on techniques used to scam Internet users. “Phishing,” for example, involves e-mail requests for personal or financial information that appear to be sent by legitimate businesses such as banks or credit card companies. Forty-nine percent of those surveyed didn’t know that banks do not use e-mail to verify account information.

AARP Washington teamed up with Microsoft, the state Office of the Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission to develop a Cyber Safety Tool Kit. You can order the free kit online.

—Reports by Donnan Runkel

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