Yednock, Attorney General’s Office Partner to Update Local Seniors

OTTAWA, Ill. – Helping keep seniors safe from fraud and scams, state Rep. Lance Yednock, D-Ottawa, partnered with the Illinois attorney general’s office to host a fraud prevention seminar for senior residents living at the Pleasant View Senior Living Home.

“Scammers are always trying to make a quick buck, and they will even do so at the expense of our seniors,” said Yednock. “Many folks may not know the preventative steps they can take to protect themselves from scams. No one can ever be too careful, and one good way to take necessary precautions is to contact the attorney general’s office and report suspicious activity without delay.”

Yednock and the attorney general’s office hosted the fraud prevention seminar at the Pleasant View Senior Living Home to update seniors on the attempts hackers make against seniors. Hackers and scammers will often make fraudulent calls to residents asking for their Social Security numbers to avoid catastrophe, when those calls generally cause cases of identity theft.

This spring, Yednock supported House Bill 2643 would give seniors aged 65 and older up to 15 days to cancel unsolicited home remodeling contracts made on the homeowner’s property, raising it from the current 3 days seniors have to cancel. Scammers are constantly targeting seniors, especially after natural disasters and accidents occur. Seniors should contact the attorney general’s Consumer Fraud Hotline at 1-800-243-0618 to report their instances or suspicions.