READING, Mass. – The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office (MSO), the Reading Police Department, and Peter Sanborn Place were proud to collaborate for a presentation on April 22 aimed at educating and empowering local residents regarding scam awareness and prevention.
As part of the MSO’s Law Enforcement And Residents Networking (L.E.A.R.N.) initiative, the presentations cover the common and emerging scams targeting residents; tips to avoid falling victim to scammers; and red flags to look out for, like scammers requesting pre-paid gift cards as payment.
Middlesex Sheriff’s Office Director of Community Affairs Ken Doucette led the presentation in Reading.
“With the advent of new and emerging technologies, scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated and targeted,” said Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian. “These presentations are crucial to arming residents – including local seniors – with knowledge so that they can recognize a scam and better protect themselves and their loved ones from fraud.”
“We are grateful for Ken Doucette and the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office for coming out to support our community,” said Reading Police Chief David J. Clark. “The number of scams going around is concerning and programs like L.E.A.R.N. help to educate the public and lessen people from becoming potential victims.”
Among the types of scams that these presentations focus on are:
- Government imposter/Arrest and intimidation scams
- Grandparent scams
- Check washing scams
- Romance scams
“Through educational opportunities such as this presentation with the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office, we are providing our most vulnerable residents with knowledge, and the most up to date information so they can empower themselves to stay safe in today’s ever-evolving landscape of fraud & scams,” said Marcy Brown, the Resident Service Coordinator of Peter Sanborn Reading.
During the presentations, participants have the opportunity to ask questions and – where comfortable – share their personal experiences.
Sheriff Koutoujian is excited to offer L.E.A.R.N. presentations to Middlesex County organizations this year. If an organization is interested in requesting a presentation led by the MSO, they can contact Director of Community Affairs Ken Doucette at KDoucette@sdm.state.ma.us.
