Scam Jam familiarizes community to help prevent fraud

DULUTH, Minn.– The Better Business Bureau teamed up with American Association of Retired Persons to familiarize over 100 people with detecting scams.

Attendees at the scam jam got to learn from numerous outlets, including the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department. and the Minnesota Department of Commerce.

AARP officials told FOX 21us, individuals who are between the ages of 20 and 39 are scammed two times as often as people over 70.

But older individuals lose more money due to scams.

The event emphasized protection measures, use of deep fakes and AI, especially now during the holiday season.

“We want people to talk about these issues with their families and their loved ones and their friends and neighbors, the people that they trust. When we’re isolated from each other, we’re much more likely to be victimized by scams. When people talk about these issues together, we’re better protected,” said Jay Haapala, Associate State Director, AARP Minnesota.

The people attending also learned how to report potential fraud cases.

And in 2024, the FBI reported a 16.6-billion-dollar loss due to scams.