The scams people can fall victim to are becoming more sophisticated, and artificial intelligence, or AI, is exacerbating the problem. To address this issue, the Prince William Area Agency on Aging and AARP are cohosting the 2024 Scam Jam for those who are 50 and older.  

The event is on Friday, April 5, at the Dr. A.J. Ferlazzo Building, 15941 Donald Curtis Drive in Woodbridge, and will include information sessions between 9 a.m. and noon. Lunch will be provided, and a shredding truck will be on site after the program where people can shred sensitive documents. Registration for the event is required.  

“The focus of the Area Agency on Aging is to empower older adults to stay active in their community, to advocate for and educate them,” said Joshua Lee, Acting Director of the Area Agency on Aging. “With the ever changing and sophisticated nature of scams nowadays, supporting education on scams is a strong defense we can offer against financial exploitation and fraud. We are happy to partner with AARP to provide knowledge that empowers our community and keeps them safe.” 

People who attend the event will learn how to recognize AI scams and understand the red flags of various scams and tactics used by scammers. 

“The focus of our Scam Jam this year is artificial intelligence,” said AARP Fraud Watch Network Representative, Martin Bailey. “Now, with artificial intelligence, the scams are going to get better.”  

Scammers use sophisticated scripts designed by AI to get people emotionally connected to the scammer, and the scammers are no longer just the people sitting in their grandmother’s basement trying to steal identities and money.  

“It’s organized crime we’re dealing with now, and scammers get better every day,” Bailey said. “They’ll have you investing thousands and thousands of dollars before you know it.”  

Speakers at the conference will include an FBI agent, a George Mason University professor, a bank fraud mitigation expert, a scam victim who will discuss her experience, and others who will inform attendees about some of the scams they might encounter.  

“People don’t know about these scams, that’s why we get these Scam Jams going. We try to get the word out about the fraud that is out there,” Bailey said.  

Scammers use information they find on social media to build a profile they can use to hook people and build trust. Knowing what schools people attended, where they work, their hobbies, their relatives and other information offers scammers a way into people’s lives. Once they gain trust, scammers build on that trust to get people emotionally invested.  

Some ways to prevent scams are to use randomly generated or otherwise strong passwords, duo push notifications, or passwords in the form of phrases that are easy to use but hard to break. People should also practice due diligence and look for emails, texts, phone calls and website addresses that look suspicious. 

Bailey said people should trust their instincts when they are online or taking phone calls and answering texts.  

“If it doesn’t feel right, it’s not,” Bailey said.  

Bailey will conclude the session by sharing the free resources available through the AARP Fraud Watch NetworkTM, which includes a helpline at 877-908-3360 that offers guidance and a support group program.