Xiomara Yamileth | The Garden Island
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LIHUE — From phishing emails and text messages to phone call hoaxes, scams targeting local residents are on the rise.

In response to the growing threat, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Elder Fraud Expert Paul Greenwood, a former Deputy District Attorney in San Diego, held a ‘Fight Fraud Together’ presentation on Friday at the Kauai Memorial Convention Hall in Lihue to better recognize and avoid scams.

In recent months, the Kauai Police Department has issued warnings regarding various scams that have emerged on the island, specifically targeting kupuna. These incidents include telephone scams in which perpetrators impersonate law enforcement officials and solicit payments, digital scams that require victims to transfer funds via PayPal, and social media scams where criminals masquerade as friends or relatives to persuade individuals to invest in cryptocurrency.

During the presentation to an audience of about 90 individuals on May 16, Greenwood, who has dedicated 22 years to the prosecution of elder fraud, discussed that over 276 million adults become victims of cyber threats, including those residing on Kauai. He provided the community with illustrative examples of how to recognize the warning signs associated with these scams, and stated;

“This was our final presentation, here on Kauai,” said Greenwood. “This has been the culmination of a week’s week-long fraud prevention seminar for older adults.

“Some kupuna, when the phone rings, that’s the highlight of their day, and once they have been scammed, the probability of getting their money back unless it’s reported immediately is low, and that can lead to depression, forms of dementia, and sadly, it can lead to suicide. Fraudsters love Kupuna for several reasons, but the elderly become targets because that’s where the wealth is, and they have the time.”

Greenwood also discussed new fraud trends and warned of false confidence when it comes to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the rise of AI-driven fraud.

“I also presented a photograph that I created with AI, where I asked the platform to create a photo of me looking desperate, in jail, behind bars, orange outfit, looking like I’d been arrested, so that everyone is aware of how easy and effective it is to deceive anybody, criminals can do this now quickly and efficiently,” he said.

“Another thing that alarms me is the arrival and accessibility of cryptocurrency ATMs. The fact that they’re in mainline supermarkets like here in Lihue in Safeway, I believe, over 90 percent of the people using these machines are victims because any real serious investors do not invest through a machine; they invest online.

“Typically, those who are targeted are told to go to the supermarket, go to Safeway, and I’ll accompany you on the phone so that I can lead you step by step.”

He also expressed optimism that his ‘Fight Fraud Together’ initiative continues to grow, and discussed the potential for collaboration with agencies on Kauai to enhance community safety.

“We are looking to launch an ‘Elder Justice Team’ on the island that engages law enforcement, social services, bank/ credit union, and the operators of the crypto kiosks in the hope that all agencies can meet on an intelligence basis to further assist any resident on Kauai who has been defraghted so that the community has a place to turn to.

“My message is we all need to be part of the solution. Part of the major problem is that the victims stay silent, so today I deputized all these wonderful folks as ‘fraud fighters’ so that they’re on the lookout and don’t feel embarrassed to speak up. These scams aren’t isolated; these are nationwide— global, so take practical steps,” added Greenwood.

“Anyone with an unlocked mailbox should sign up for ‘Informed Delivery’ with USPS. A text message or any phone call saying ‘Hello’ or ‘Hi’ or any unknown numbers, ignore them. Criminals will use AI to record your voice and expand upon that, and once they have recorded a sentence or two, it’s easy to impersonate you.

“We cannot let our guard down, defrauders are looking to defraud you and me through a text, email, or phone call, and I say nothing is so urgent that you need to make a financial transaction today. Don’t react and don’t overreact.

“We all have a responsibility to share information about how to better protect ourselves from becoming victims of all types of fraud; we must make reporting of such crimes more accessible to everyone,” Greenwood said.

Individuals looking for further information or updates on the latest scams can visit AARP.org/FraudWatchNetwork or call the AARP helpline at 877.908.3360.