Wright County Extension offering scam awareness program

The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Wright County Office is offering a free program to empower community members to protect themselves against scams.  Scammers prey on people’s fear and generosity, often utilizing technology.   Scammers are continually changing their techniques and will use a variety of schemes to steal information.

Chief Deputy Jeremy Hogrefe will be speaking at the Wright County Extension Office on Tuesday, October 19th at 6:30pm on current scams affecting Wright County citizens.  Hogrefe will focus on techniques that can help determine what is a legitimate contact versus a scam and real-world tips to protect oneself from scammers.  Action steps will also be discussed on what to do in situations of a scam.

"The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Wright County Office is committed to offering programs to meet community needs," says Missy Loux, Program Coordinator.  "Many community members have reported experiencing a scam and we are eager to help folks combat defrauders."

In 2020, the FBI reports that $4.2 billion were stolen in cybercrimes; nearly $1 billion were taken from people over the age of 60.  There has been an increase in scams regarding the coronavirus pandemic; personal information collected can be used to commit medical identity theft.  Do not provide personal, medical, or financial details to anyone in exchange for vaccine information, test results, or for participation in a COVID-19 survey.

To register for this free program, contact Missy at 515-532-3453 or louxm@iastate.edu by Friday, October 15th.