JACKSON — A special seminar hosted by the Jackson Police Department focusing on ways residents can identify and protect themselves from modern scam tactics will be held at 12:45 p.m. Jan. 20 at the Jackson Senior Center.
Hosted in conjunction with the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association, a nonprofit organization with no affiliation to the FBI, the event will cover identity theft and Internet scams, as well as medical fraud and credit card fraud.
According to police, attendees will learn what to look for and what not to do when faced with a potential scam.
During the last year, reports from Jackson police and police in neighboring municipalities have described incidents in which residents have lost thousands of dollars to different types of fraud.
In June, a Jackson man paid more than $4,200 to scam artists after he received what turned out to be fraudulent warnings that claimed he needed to pay money in order to avoid being arrested for an existing warrant, court fees and attorney fees.
In that instance, police said, the man was instructed by a caller to send payment through the use of PayPal Green Dot MoneyPak cards.
In the past, Jackson police Lt. Steven Laskiewicz has said one way to combat such scams is for all individuals and business owners to verify the information they are being given by a caller before making any type of payment.
Anyone interested in registering for the Jan. 20 seminar should contact the Jackson Senior Center at 732-928-2313.