Fighting Fraud in Massachusetts

A few years ago, Deb Bloomberg’s mother received an alarming call from someone claiming to be an attorney for her granddaughter.

The man said the granddaughter was in jail for causing a near-fatal car accident and would have to spend the night there unless she sent $8,000.

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The only thing that saved Bloomberg’s mother, then in her early 90s, from having money stolen in the scam was being unable to get the cash quickly enough. The criminal moved on.

Seeing scams affect her mother, friends and former colleagues spurred Bloomberg — a 74-year-old retired educator in Watertown outside of Boston — to attend an AARP Massachusetts fraud education talk. Immediately after, she signed up to become one of about 30 AARP volunteers who give fraud prevention presentations at senior centers and in other community settings.

It’s “extremely rewarding ... to help people fight against criminals who have absolutely no conscience about taking their money,” Bloomberg says.

AARP Massachusetts has been expanding its team of fraud fighters, as well as other scam prevention efforts, in recent years. In addition to presentations, it hosts Fraud Talk Tuesday, a monthly 30-minute webinar featuring fraud experts and victims. And starting in May, a three-part lunch-and-learn series will focus on the latest scam tactics, such as the use of artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency kiosks.

Bloomberg feels her greatest impact comes when people who have experienced a scam share their story with her, and she can point them to the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline (877-908-3360) and offer guidance and emotional support.

Massachusetts residents reported losing $214 million to fraud in 2024 — a 43 percent increase from 2023, Federal Trade Commission data shows. Nationally, consumers reported $12.8 billion lost to scams in 2024. However — because fraud is significantly underreported — the agency estimated actual losses could have been as high as $196 billion.

Older Americans report the greatest losses, partly because they have more money to lose than younger groups, according to the FTC.

Lisa Diernisse, 62, of Longmeadow just south of Springfield, was drawn to becoming a fraud fighter a couple of years ago because it seemed like a good use of the skills she developed in her career as a federal contracting officer and consultant. She has also participated in a Fraud Talk Tuesday panel about how to protect against identity theft.

Volunteers have been key to educating communities across the Bay State about fraud — the various types, ways to prevent them and resources for victims, says Polly Hunt, AARP Massachusetts community outreach and volunteer engagement director. Quite a few of the volunteers have either had money stolen in a scam themselves or come very close to it; those experiences help them relate to their peers in the community, Hunt notes.