Cassandra Valentini from Direction Home, left, discusses resources on aging and disabilities along with Dominique DeSanti, center, and Karen Carter with Adult Protective Services. They met with seniors at the forum.

YOUNGSTOWN — Fraud and scams were the topic of the evening for seniors as they learned tips and tricks to avoid being taken.

A forum on fraud safety for seniors was sponsored by Jewish Family and Community Services and hosted 126 people Tuesday. Mahoning County Prosecutor Gina DeGenova conducted the program.

DeGenova’s office has conducted about 60 similar programs in the past two years.

“We want to prevent crime before it happens, not just prosecute it,” DeGenova said. “Over recent years we have seen violent crimes decrease in the county and we’d like to think our proactive efforts help that cause. Accurate information is never a bad thing.”

An array of topics were covered, with many incorporating advice on navigating digital transactions and practices.

● TEXT LINKS: Be careful of clicking on links or text messages from those you don’t know. You might end up in a place that may scam you. If the text looks legitimate, go to the actual website of the company rather than clicking on a link.

● CREDIT CARDS: Credit cards generally offer much stronger levels of fraud protection. Using cash cannot be traced. Debit cards can be the same as cash in that you may not get reimbursed if the transaction is fraudulent. Cash apps can make it easy to exchange money, but remember that once the cash is sent, you will not have the same protection as a credit card, so be confident where you are sending money through a cash app.

● PUBLIC WI-FI: If using the Wi-Fi of local coffee shops and other businesses, be aware that the internet is not protected, unless it is password protected. A good rule of thumb is to only use public Wi-Fi if there is a specific password for that business.

● CATFISHING: Catfishing is when someone creates a fake online identity to trick others into believing they are real. Catfishers often use this tactic to form online relationships with the intent to scam, harass or trick people.

● ROMANCE SCAMS: People can be very clever about forming friendships on social media, especially those who are single or lonely. Before the point of actually meeting them, they will make an excuse to cancel the meeting for financial reasons, then ask you for money to help their situation.

● ARTIFICIAL INTEL-LIGENCE: Modern technology, if it captures just three seconds of your actual voice, can create an entire conversation in that same voice. If you receive a call and it sounds just like someone you know, ask them a question that artificial intelligence cannot know the answer to make sure the person you are talking to is real.

● HOME IMPROVEMENT SCAMS: People will knock on your door, saying they are in the neighborhood, and offer a great deal on some maintenance or improvement project because they are already on site. If they want money upfront, you are vulnerable to never seeing that money again and not having the work done. It is a good idea to check with others who had the work done to make sure they are satisfied.

● CHILD PROTECTION: It is popular for grandparents and parents to post on social media a child’s first day of school, with a chalkboard full of information such as teacher’s name, favorite food, grade in school, future job dreams, etc. Be mindful that people can access your social media and use that information to make the child comfortable in getting into a stranger’s car. “Your teacher, Mrs. Smith, asked me to take you for some pizza.”

● PASSWORDS: Most sites make you answer basic questions to change a password, such as mother’s maiden name, best friend in high school, father’s place of birth, etc. You don’t need to answer the questions correctly. Sophisticated scammers can track the same answers.

● FREE TRIALS: Even with legitimate sources, free trials may end with automatic billing to your credit card on an ongoing basis. Getting out of the agreement can be very difficult as companies do not want you to discontinue service. They make it very hard to do so by not offering an easy and transparent escape.

● QR CODES: Make sure you are comfortable with the source of a QR code. An unreliable source can take you to a link that is not legitimate and ask you for personal information or money.

● HOME DEEDS:

Professional scammers can often get enough information to simulate a deed transfer. The Mahoning County Recorder’s Office has a fraud alert program where you will be notified if anyone is attempting to transfer a deed to property you own. It is a simple sign-up with the recorder’s office.

Dwayne Simmons of Liberty attended the presentation and believes the information will help him avoid stepping into problems.

“This information was really timely,” Simmons said. “The world is changing so fast we need to stop and learn how to protect ourselves.”

Cheryl Silvidi of Hubbard agreed with Simmons. “You know you’re been to a great seminar when so many great questions are asked that receive great answers,” Silvidi said.

Nicole Balog-Bickerstaff, senior outreach coordinator for JFCS, explained her motivation for conducting the program.

“Scams and fraud are costing seniors millions, if not billions, of dollars every year,” Balog-Bickerstaff said. “We need to stay in front of this by providing timely information that will help seniors and others to avoid getting scammed out of their money.”