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Attorney General Frosh, AARP-Maryland to host virtual consumer education forum on holiday season scams

BALTIMORE, MD—Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh and AARP will host a virtual consumer education forum at noon on Wednesday, December 1st.

Attorney General Frosh and guest speaker Attorney Karen Morgan will discuss how to spot and avoid common holiday season scams. Participants will also be able to ask questions through live chat on Facebook and YouTube.

“Becoming a victim of a scam can dampen anyone’s holiday spirit, or even worse result in identity theft or major financial loss. However, learning about common seasonal scams can help you avoid becoming a victim,” said Attorney General Frosh. “Scammers use social media in particular to phish, scare, lure, or otherwise separate you from your money or personal information. We urge Marylanders to be mindful of these tactics and avoid a holiday ruined by a scam.”

“Scammers deploy a number of tactics during the holidays – including scams that target online shopping, involve the draining of gift cards, or relate to shipping packages,” said Hank Greenberg, AARP Maryland state director. “What’s more, a new study from ‘AARP’s Fraud-Watch Network’ finds that many holiday-shoppers – including throughout Maryland – might be opening themselves up to risk. Worryingly, the study finds that a full two-thirds of Americans will use their debit cards, even though both credit cards and digital wallets are safer to use online. Roughly two-thirds also plan to purchase gift-cards, with the majority buying them off the rack, even though that’s a known target for scammers.”

The livestream can be viewed on the following channels:

Maryland Attorney General’s Office on YouTube

Maryland Attorney General’s Office on Facebook

AARP Maryland on Facebook

Photo via Pixabay

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