October 10, 2024 Minutes

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Weld Area Agency on Aging - Advisory Board Meeting Minutes

Meeting Location: Zoom Invite & Area Agency on Aging, 315 N 11th Ave., Bldg. C., Greeley, CO
Meeting: Thursday, October 10, 2024 (Thursday) 9:00 am – 11:00 am

  1. Roll Call:
    • Board Members
      • Attended:
        • Kay Broderius, Commissioner Buck, Susan Collins, DeAnn Cure,Alan Kress, Aaron Sanchez, Anne Curry Sanchez, Teresa Schunter, Vice-Chair Jami Shepherd, Gillian Smith, Diana Vasquez, Lynn Young Absent: Nancy Haffner, Father Steve Karcher, Ruth Leitel, Valeria Ortiz
      • AAA Staff Attended:
        • Tami Grant, Department of Human Services Deputy Director
        • Kelly Morrison, Home & Community Supports Division Director
        • Meredith Skoglund, Community Outreach Manager
        • Michelle Roper, Administrative Assistant
      • Absent
        • Jill Colavolpe, Home & Community Supports Division Deputy Director
      • Guest:
        • Lynn Lowe, Victim Advocate, Denver City Attorney’s Office
  2. Program: Fraud & Victim’s Rights with Lynn Lowe
    • The Victims Advocate position within the Denver City Attorney General’s office was created in 2020 when scams doubled from the previous years. The Advocate investigates scam tactics in order to prevent revictimization and to help take away the stigma of being a victim. The Advocate works with a group of four Detectives, a Sergeant and someone in the FBI Fraud Unit.
    • Older adults are more of a target because they are more readily accessible. Scammers can prove they are who they claim to be by various ways such as:
      • Using technology to change their voice or appearance.
      • Finding information about you through social media so they talk about things you like or to have something in common with you.
    • Helping people understand how the scammers tactics work and how the emotional part of the brain is triggered will help to recognize when something is a scam.
    • Scammers will give you a sense of urgency to make you react quickly without really thinking it through. Always start by going to a safe valid source to verify. If any business or government agency tells you there is a problem, hang up and call the source.
    • Scammers will work on isolating you and coaching you through what they want you to do. Romance scams are the largest scams happening. Investment scams are hard to prove because they are done in bitcoin or cryptocurrency which is hard to trace.
    • The only thing that should require urgency is your health and something on fire. Slow down, breathe, pay attention, and refocus. Look at grammar and misspellings but eventually that too will be hard to notice with AI (artificial intelligence). Have codewords between family members to determine if the person is really who you think it is.
      • Q: Member Cure – How can someone verify that a number is valid?
      • A: Guest Lowe - Unfortunately, Voice Over Internet Protocol numbers (VOIP) can appear
        as a legitimate number. VOIP, also known as vishing, is a telephone fraud tactic that uses a seemingly legitimate caller ID description and phone numbers to convince individuals to disclose important data and financial information. If the number is not in your contacts, let it go to your voicemail.
    • When receiving an email that appears to be fraud, send them to spam, junk or block. Don’t just delete. When you are searching for a website always type “official website” after what you are looking for to eliminate the junk. Look for the padlock next to the URL or there could be a circle with 2 lines, click on either of those to see if it’s secure. Once you are on the website, go to the very bottom and look for privacy agreement or agreement. If nothing comes up after clicking on it or if there is no agreement/policy, get out of the site as it’s not real.
    • Any surveys you fill out can potentially be a scam and do not click on any links. Always look carefully at email addresses to verify they are legitimate.
    • If you have been a victim of fraud, put a fraud alert on one of the 3 credit agencies and a credit freeze on all 3 while you are trying to resolve the issue.
      • Q: Member Cure – How can you help someone understand that not everyone on the phone is who they claim to be?
      • A: Guest Lowe - Try to educate them on potential frauds or in the event it’s a romance scam, ask if they have seen that person in person, where do they live, etc. and then
        redirect to something local that would fulfill their need for socializing and communication.
      • Q: Commissioner Buck – The Advocate position must be very challenging with so many scams?
      • A: Guest Lowe – Men between the ages of 28 to 32 are the highest number of victims due to investment fraud.
      • Q: Commissioner Buck – Have there been any positive recoveries?
      • A: Guest Lowe – Recently saved someone from losing $75,000.
      • Q: Member Curry Sanchez – Are there companies that are good at staying on top of scams? 
      • A: Guest Lowe – A lot of companies are getting better. A State Financial Abuse Coalition was just created and looking for companies to join.
      • S: Member Cure – Recommends setting spending limits on cards to protect yourself.
      • A: Guest Lowe - Also recommends having a separate bank account at a different bank with a limited amount of money to use of Velle, Venmo & Paypal. This way if the account is compromised, they will only get a small amount of money. Scammers will buy small items and have them sent to you to test the amount that can be charged and then purchase more costly items and have those sent to themselves.
      • S: Member Broderius – Older adults that have lost a spouse gets calls right away about purchasing their home. 
      • A: Guest Lowe - Recently detected a housing title exploitation, which is not a common crime. Usually happens from shady real estate agents, criminals in the neighborhood. that know someone is struggling or family members. Keep track on your address through the County Assessor’s office to make sure you haven’t been compromised.
      • S: Member Schunter – If you have lost a spouse, make sure to have someone house sit while away at the funeral. Thieves are looking at obituaries and will rob the home while family is away.
      • S: Member Kress – You can set up a free telephone number through google voice numbers for non-essential calls such as Facebook, shopping online, etc. This phone number will not be associated with any of your banking information.
  3. Approval of Minutes:
    • Motion made by Vice-Chair Shepherd to approve the minutes from September 12, 2024. Member Cure made first approval and Member Curry Sanchez made second approval. All approved.
  4. Committee Overview, Sign-up, and Committee Reports:
    • Nutrition:
      • Member Schunter – The December Prime Rib dinners will be served on 12/16 and 12/19 for a suggested donation of $5.00 per person. Make sure to make a reservation ahead of time. Only 550 meals will be served per day.
    • ADRC:
      • Staff Member Skoglund – Meeting on Monday, will have an update at the November 14, 2024, meeting.
    • AARP Livable Communities:
      • Staff Member Skoglund – Surveys were handed out at the Senior Symposium with approximately 30 completed.
    • Fraud Updates:
      • Vice Chair Shepherd – Reviewed handouts sent to Board via email.
    • Legislative & CCA:
      • Vice Chair Shepherd – Starting CCA calls next Monday.
    • 50+ Art Show:
      • Member Sanchez – Great turnout, food and music were terrific. Art types included ceramics and a couple of wood carvings this year. Art will be on display through October 15, 2024.
    • Beyond 60
      • Staff Member Skoglund – Still looking for articles.
    • Monitoring, Oversight, Request for Proposal
      • Staff Member Skoglund – The State will be conducting an audit on November 1st in the following areas:
        • 60+ Transportation, Nutrition, Dental, Vision & Hearing and Evidence based programs.
      • Staff Member Skoglund – The position of Wellness Coordinator has been filled by Gaby Synder.
  5. Board Participation Reports:
    • Member Shunter – Attending “Embracing Aging on the Square – CU Anschutz Center & CSU’s Columbine Health Systems Center” on Friday, October 11, 2024, from 11am-3pm. Looking at AAA possibly being a sponsor for next year. Jodi Waterhouse is looking at the Hispanic aging population.
    • Commissioner Buck – Project Connect is on Thursday, October 17, 2024 at Island Grove. This is a free event for anyone that needs services. There will be over 50 services including hair cuts, social security cards, birth certificates, consultation with lawyers, chiropractor, feet cleaned, etc. In 2023 over 700 people were served and there were over 200 volunteers.
    • Q: Member Shunter – Is transportation available
    • A: Commissioner Buck – buses should be available through United Way
  6. General Agency Updates:
    • None at this time
    • Upcoming Events
      • 50+ Art Show: TBA
      • Senior Symposium: TBA
      • Project Connect: October 17, 2024
      • Caregiver Appreciation Day: October 15, 2025
      • Greeley/Weld Senior Foundation: May 25, 2025
  7. Adjournment:
    • Motion to adjourn meeting. All agreed.
  8. Next meeting
    • Thursday, November 14, 2024, from 9:00 – 11:00 am
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