Fraud prevention seminar Friday

Mar. 12--Local residents who are worried about falling victim to scams can learn some of the ways to spot them and avoid them by attending a Fraud Prevention Seminar this Friday.

Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry, North Alabama Better Business Bureau CEO Elizabeth Garcia will be joined by representatives from the Alabama Securities Commission and the Alabama Senior Medicare Patrol to provide awareness of common scams and methods of avoiding them.

The seminar will take place Friday from 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Northbrook Baptist Church, located at 3691 Highway 157 in Cullman. A free lunch will also be provided by the Investor Protection Trust.

The Better Business Bureau and the North Central Alabama Regional Coalition of Governments have partnered with the Investor Protection Trust to host the seminars in several areas around North Alabama in an effort to prevent residents from falling victim to fraud, said North Alabama Better Business Bureau Regional Vice President Tricia Pruitt.

She said around 3.2 million reports of fraud and identity theft were made to the Federal Trade Commission last year.

"That's just what's reported," she said.

Pruitt said some of the most common scams that were reported to the FTC are identity theft, telephone/mobile scams and imposter scams -- in which a scammer claims to be a relative, the IRS or another person or organization to ask for money.

Other common fraud attempts come through email, such as ransomware -- in which a scammer seizes control of a computer system or data and demands a payment before they relinquish that control, she said.

There have been several businesses and organizations in North Alabama that have fallen victim to those attacks in recent months, including a senior care facility in Decatur, and many other places have seen schools and hospitals come under ransomware attacks, Pruitt said.

"It's affecting all types of businesses," she said.

Pruitt said Friday's seminar will discuss those scams and others, along with the best ways to recognize and avoid them.

"You are your own protector," she said. "The more education you have and how to spot things and look for things, the better off you are."

Pruitt said anyone who plans to attend the seminar should register by phone or online to ensure that they will receive a free lunch. People can register for the fraud prevention seminar by calling Pruitt at 256-355-5170 or by visiting bbb.org/h/k036.

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