SENIORNET COMPUTER LEARNING CENTER NEWS

Oct. 15, 2002, Vol. 3; Issue #10A; Mail Address: PMB 44, 12819 SE 38th St., Bellevue, WA 98006-1326

Voice Mail: 206-232-5892; Email: senior@scn.org; Classroom at Phantom Lake Elementary School, Bellevue; For detailed Information, Class Schedules: http://www.seniornetps.org

SeniorNet Meeting at 10 a.m. to hear noted money expert

HOW TO SPOT, AVOID INVESTMENT SCAMS !!

To accommodate an expected larger attendance, the Tuesday, Oct. 15th monthly SeniorNet membership meeting has been moved to a larger meeting hall at the Bellevue Regional Library in downtown Bellevue, with the doors opening at 10 a.m., to hear tips by a noted investment expert on how to spot investment fraud.

The large Bellevue Regional Library, is located at 1111 110th Ave. NE, Bellevue, a few blocks north of the NE 8th street exit from Route 405, and two blocks west of the highway. The library phone is 425-450-1765. Lots of parking space on the spacious grounds.

With seniors becoming a major target of investment fraud, and often stripped of their life savings by scam artists, there is special interest in the talk by Alicia Haus, Manager of Education for the Department of Financial Institutions, according to SeniorNet Vice Pres. Adella Granger.

"Investment scams and financial fraud are a five billion dollar a year industry for con artists in the United States. What makes this even more tragic is that the victims hit hardest, the ones conned out of the largest amount of money (in many cases, their entire life savings!), are senior citizens,” Adella said. “It is so important to know how to spot the warning signs of a con artist, and to know how to determine whether or not someone really is a con artist. Ms. Haus, will tell you how to do both of these things, and will profile the most common scams and fraud currently targeting senior citizens in Washington State.

”All are welcome and invited to come and learn how fraud artists could con you,” she added. “The meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. However the doors of the library do not open until 10, so as you enter the meeting room, grab one of the stacked-up chairs and help us set up the session so we can get this meeting started quickly.”