08/19/2026
Financial scams are sharply on the rise. According to an FBI news post published this past May, the 2025 losses experienced by seniors due to scams reached almost $8 billion, with an average reported loss coming in at a shocking $38,000 PER VICTIM.
Sadly, most victims were not aware that scams were so prevalent, so they didn't know which warning signs to watch for.
It's often one link that should not have been clicked. It can happen in a flash, and then it's very difficult to walk it back once the scammers have gotten into your personal information.
One of Family Service's core values is autonomy and agency, meaning that we want seniors to be empowered to steer their own ships, make their own decisions, and keep pursuing happiness as they see fit.
Scams get in the way of your right to live as you wish, so we have invited the Champaign County Sheriff's Office to do a presentation on Senior Safety that will include detailed information on how to avoid being scammed.
We can't box up all the fraudsters and send them away, but we can arm our older neighbors with the facts and strategies they need to keep themselves safe.
Please join us on Thursday, September 10 at 10:30 am.
None of us can afford to be in the dark when it comes to fraud and scams. We hope all our senior neighbors will give themselves the gift of empowerment and knowledge to avoid a catastrophic, expensive scam mistake.
Please share this post. We are hoping for a packed house full of older adults that want to be proactive about their own safety, especially when it comes to their finances.
