Anacortes Senior College

Note: No Thursday Class on April 25; Last Class May 30.

The U.S. Office of Justice reports that financial fraud is the number one crime committed against seniors in the U.S. Additionally, in 2022 the National Council on Aging reported more than 88,000 complaints of fraud, resulting in more than $3 billion in losses from people 60+. These statistics do not report the instances of fraud that go unreported. Locally, the City of Anacortes reported more than 300 cases of fraud in 2020, according to City Data. This shows that our town is not immune to the problem and points to a real need for fraud education and prevention among our senior population.

In this course you will learn:

• The most common scams targeting seniors and the steps you can take to protect from becoming victims of financial fraud.
• New fraud trends and how criminals are using technology to access private data.
• Psychological manipulation techniques criminals employ to gain their victim’s trust.
• Actions you can take to protect from elder financial abuse.

You will also hear true stories of Anacortes seniors who have been victims of financial fraud, the personal impact they experienced, and the protections they put in place afterward to rebuild.

Instructor: Racheal Meloche, MS

Racheal is Vice President and Community Bank Manager at Banner Bank in Anacortes. She has been in the financial industry for 28 years and holds a MS in Finance from Davenport University and is a Doctor of Business Administrational candidate at Capella University. She will be joined in instruction by additional Banner Bank staff.