{"id":28419,"date":"2019-09-23T11:04:46","date_gmt":"2019-09-23T15:04:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stetson.edu\/law\/news\/?p=28419"},"modified":"2019-09-23T11:23:37","modified_gmt":"2019-09-23T15:23:37","slug":"stetson-hosted-consumer-protection-fair-with-aarp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stetson.edu\/law\/news\/index.php\/2019\/09\/23\/stetson-hosted-consumer-protection-fair-with-aarp\/","title":{"rendered":"Stetson hosted Consumer Protection Fair with AARP"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"AARP
Volunteers from AARP Tampa Bay helped local seniors sign up for the Do Not Call Registry and other services to help block junk mail during the Consumer Protection Fair at Stetson.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is no rule book to retiring or getting old,\u201d said Marilyn Izor, a retired nurse from St. Petersburg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 70-year-old attended a Consumer Protection Fair on Sept. 11, 2019, at Stetson University College of Law. The school hosted the event in partnership with AARP Tampa Bay<\/a> as part of AARP\u2019s National Day of Service. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Izor said she\nleft the event armed with plenty of notes and great information to help her on the\n\u201cjourney of getting old.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attendees had\nthe opportunity to shred sensitive documents and consult expert speakers on\nconsumer protection issues, as well as probate, power of attorney and other\nimportant topics.  AARP employees helped\nthem sign up for the National Do Not Call Registry and various ways to opt out\nof junk mail. Stetson law students assisted with legal technology training,\nincluding how to spot dangerous email attachments and suspicious web links. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can be\nreally smart and still get caught, so you need to stay informed of the latest\ntricks,\u201d said Jeff Johnson, state director for AARP. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\norganization hosts multiple service events all around the state, each with a\ndifferent theme. In the Panhandle, for example, they worked on Hurricane\nMichael relief. In Gulfport, the partnership with Stetson made perfect sense,\ngiven the school\u2019s well-known Center for Excellence in Elder Law and strong\nadvocacy programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Professor
Stetson Professor Rebecca C. Morgan introduces St. Petersburg Police Detective Brian Kronz during the Consumer Protection Fair on Sept. 11, 2019, at Stetson University College of Law. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Stay informed<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Detective\nBrian Kronz with the St. Petersburg Police Department was one of the event\nspeakers. A sobering fact from his law enforcement experience: 90 percent of\nthe time when seniors are a victim of theft, it was perpetrated by someone in a\nposition of trust. Home health aides and unscrupulous family members are common\nculprits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIdentity\ntheft happens every two seconds,\u201d he said, adding that Florida has the largest\nnumber of identity theft victims in the nation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Identity theft is just one of many common crimes committed against the elderly. You can read more about the most popular scams and how to avoid them on the AARP website<\/a>, but key red flags for exploitation include: unusual bank account activity; missing checks, credit cards, valuables or important documents; an unusual change in beneficiaries; or a new \u201cbest friend\u201d suddenly appearing, Kronz said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seniors can protect themselves by selecting someone with integrity to act as their power of attorney, always speaking with a trusted advisor before making any kind of financial decision, shredding personal documents and mail, regularly checking their credit report via AnnualCreditReport.com<\/a>, scrutinizing all financial statements, and securing valuable possessions. Kronz also encouraged all seniors to feel free to call their local law enforcement agency if they ever feel unsure about a situation, person or otherwise threatened. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stop running from aging and make a plan<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Stetson\nalumna Stephanie Edwards, of Edwards Elder Law in St. Petersburg, discussed\ntypes of long-term care, from home health to assisted living to skilled nursing\nfacilities, and how to pay for it. Too many people refuse to think about the\npossibility of needing care and fail to plan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFate likes\nchaos, and fate likes crisis,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider\nthese numbers: <\/p>\n\n\n\n