As part of a statewide effort by the Texas Attorney General’s Office (OAG) to fight fraud and scams affecting senior Texans, today Assistant Attorney General Rick Berlin participated as the main speaker at the Southeast Senior Texans Celebration and Consumer Expo organized by the Better Business Bureau (BBB). 

Berlin, from the OAG’s Consumer Protection Division in Houston, spoke to hundreds of Texas seniors at the 16th Southeast Texas Senior Celebration and Consumer Expo about the importance of recognizing and preventing scams. Berlin and other members of the OAG’s staff outlined ways to avoid scams, and provided information about resources available to them at the OAG and the BBB.

The OAG protects senior consumers by taking legal action under the Deceptive Trade Practices Act and other consumer protection statutes. Another way this agency protects senior consumers is through an awareness campaign. Through this initiative, the OAG has created materials specifically for senior consumers and a webpage dedicated to their protection. 

“While anyone can be a victim of fraud, senior citizens are often targeted by scammers seeking to make a quick buck,” Attorney General Ken Paxton said. “Whether phishing for private information or even posing as a beloved family member, these individuals put people’s financial health and well-being at risk, and the best defense against them is to be fully informed.”

For more information on protecting yourself or your loved ones against some of the most common scams targeting seniors, please visit the Senior Protection page of the OAG website at https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/seniors/senior-texans-page. For information on reporting fraud or elderly abuse, please visit https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/seniors/elder-abuse.