Scam And Fraud Prevention Seminars Offered Wednesday By Palos Park Police

PALOS PARK, IL — Given the fact that two residents avoided falling victim to smishing and vishing scams last week, Palos Park police are offering a double header of scam seminars. The seminars start at 2:30 p.m. or 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5, at the Kaptur Center, 8999 W. 123rd St. Both are open to residents of all ages.

These seminars will focus on how to avoid becoming a victim of emerging crime trends – vishing, smishing and phishing scams, fraudulent tax schemes and identity theft. Investigators Join investigators Bob Kotsianis and Scott Van Wagner, along with other officers, for some pizza, as they review the latest “Scams, Schemes and Exploitation” crime trends.

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Investigator Ross Chibe will also provide instruction on how residents can minimize their changes of falling victim to these crimes. In addition, attendees will learn about the tactics fraudsters use to trick people into giving their personal information, solicit funds and compromise their security.

Last year, Americans lost $16.6 billion to scams, up 33 percent compared to 2023, according to data from the FBI, and brings the total over the past half decade to more than $50 billion. The most affected group: seniors. They make up for nearly a third of last year's losses.

Older Americans especially have been swindled out of millions of dollars due to various types of scams. According to the FBI’s annual internet crime report, seniors lost $5 billion in online scams in 2024 alone.

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Further, the number of Americans age 60 and older who lost $100,000 or more to fraud each year has more than tripled since 2020, the FTC reports. Older adults most commonly lose such large sums of money to investment scams like those involving cryptocurrency, as well as romance and imposter scams, the FTC said.

Van Wagner and Kotsianis are 20-plus year policing veterans who have worked many scam and fraud cases. They are eager to share their experience, knowledge and wisdom to help deter anyone from falling victim to ever present scam artists.