With National Fraud Awareness Week (September 23-29 ) imminent and people becoming increasingly alert to the threat of bank fraud, identity theft and online scams, the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI ) will be bringing its new FraudSMART Clinic to Athlone for the first time next month.
Ambassador for the awareness initiative, former Government Minister Mary O’Rourke, will be in attendance, and encourages others to join her for an informative morning of discussion, FAQ, tea, coffee and chat among fellow senior citizens on the issue. The event is free to attend and walk-ins are welcome, but reserving a spot is recommended and easy to do by emailing [email protected].
The FraudSMART Clinic arrives in Athlone on Monday, October 7, at the Radisson Blu Hotel on Northgate Street and starts at 11am sharp.
Supported by Active Retirement Ireland, the event aims to provide members of the public, especially older citizens, with a forum in which to learn about current trends in fraud scams, including the warning signs, the safeguards to put in place and who to contact in the event of a fraud attempt.
Each FraudSMART Clinic will include a mixture of presentations, discussion, Q&A and advice featuring representatives from FraudSMART and Active Retirement Ireland, as well as An Garda Síochána represented by Detective Garda James O’Meara, Garda National Economic Crime Bureau and An Post given the prominent role the service plays in the financial lives of older citizens.
FraudSMART is an initiative that aims to raise awareness of the latest financial fraud activity and trends, and how consumers and businesses can act to protect themselves. As part of Fraud Awareness Week 2019, this year’s initiative includes a series of FraudSMART Clinics which will tour towns and cities to examine the reality of financial fraud scams on the ground in each locality, particularly among older people in our society. More details about FraudSMART can be found at www.fraudSMART.ie
