LIHUE — Scams and fraudulent activities, especially those targeting kupuna, remain a problem.
“There are so many scams out there that people are being taken advantage of,” said Eric Nordmeier, volunteer for Senior Medicare Patrol.
The county Agency on Elderly Affairs Aging and Disability Resource Center, along with state agencies, recently presented a seminar about Medicare and securities fraud, other common scams in the state, and prescription drug misuse.
The presentation reminded residents to beware of unsolicited phone calls or companies offering free items, in addition to the importance of checking statements for unfamiliar charges, unusual credit reports and denied claims or coverage.
The multi-agency program was called Kupuna Alert Partners.
“The KAP partnership is important because we are seeing a rise of financial fraud that’s targeting our kupunas, so we want to get information out to the community,” said state Department of Commerce &Consumer Affairs investor education specialist Theresa Anne Kong Kee, one of the speakers.
“We want to let them know where they can get help, where they can get information and also caregivers and those service providers that can help our kupunas too,” she said.
The free seminar at the Lihue Civic Center attracted nearly a dozen concerned residents. Many were county workers involved in programs for the elderly, but they declined to comment.
In one recent criminal case, a Hawaii man, Bruce Harada, stole $2.2 million in investments from active and retired City &County of Honolulu employees before being caught. He was convicted and sentenced, and is scheduled to remain at Saguaro Correctional Center in Arizona in 2032.
Securities and investment fraud happens on every island to all kinds of people, and often the money is never returned or recovered, especially when cash is involved. Check to see if your financial professional is registered with the state Office of the Securities Commissioner before doing business, and go to brokercheck.org or smartcheck.gov to be sure.
