Seminar held to help fight fraud

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A seminar in Wilmington on Thursday taught folks how to fight fraud.

North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall spoke at the Modern Times Modern Crimes anti-fraud seminar.

It focused on financial crime and the growing threat of elder financial abuse.

Marshall spoke about enforcement actions against investment scam artists and offered tips for avoiding investment fraud.

“If it sounds too good to be true, it is, that’s number one,” Marshall said. “Other techniques they use are — you got to do it now, you got to do it by 5 o’clock.”

“One of the ones that’s so prevalent now is the IRS scam,” Marshall added. “People really need to know that the IRS does not call you.”

The seminar featured other guest speakers representing the District Attorney’s Office, the US Postal Inspector, the North Carolina Department of Insurance, the New Hanover County Department of Social Services, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The event was co-sponsored by Area Agency on Aging, Carolina Bay at Autumn Hall, and Cape Fear Elder Abuse Prevention Network.

If you suspect something is a scam, contact the Attorney General’s office.

• File a complaint online at ncdoj.gov.
• Mail a complaint to: Consumer Protection Division

Attorney General’s Office
Mail Service Center 9001
Raleigh, NC 27699-9001

• Call 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or 919-716-6000.