MARION COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – Senator Ashley Moody hosted a Senior Scam Seminar on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at the On Top of the World Cultural Center in Marion County, drawing a crowd of more than 500 Florida seniors.

The seminar aimed to educate older Floridians about avoiding cybercrime, financial fraud, and emerging schemes related to cryptocurrency and exploitation.

As part of the event, the senator unveiled a new resource titled Scams at a Glance: Grandparent Grifts. The guide focuses on preventing grandparent scams, in which imposters pose as grandchildren in distress to exploit seniors for money.

“Today, we held a Senior Scam Seminar to educate hundreds of older Floridians about common and emerging scams,” she said. “During the seminar, we released our Scams at a Glance: Grandparent Grifts. This new resource explains grandparent scams and provides tips to help older Floridians spot and avoid these imposter scams.”

The event featured presentations from Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods, representatives from the State Attorney’s Office for the 5th Judicial Circuit, the Marion County Sheriff’s Fraud Team, and members of Attorney General Moody’s Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit, Seniors vs. Crime initiative, and Senior Protection Teams.

Grandparent scams typically begin with a call from someone pretending to be the target’s grandchild. The caller may speak softly or offer an excuse for sounding different, then claim to be in urgent trouble and request money. The scammer often pressures the victim to act quickly and keep the request a secret. Victims who send money—whether via gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer—often find it impossible to recover their funds.

To help seniors protect themselves, the new resource offers the following tips:

  • Resist the urge to act immediately. Hang up and verify the caller’s story with the grandchild or other family members.
  • Be wary of anyone demanding payment via gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers. Legitimate entities do not use these methods.
  • Understand that scammers may use information from social media to make their stories seem credible.
  • If a scammer requests an in-person meeting to collect money, hang up and contact local law enforcement immediately.

For more information, seniors can access Scams at a Glance: Grandparent Grifts and additional resources on Senator Moody’s Scams at a Glance homepage.