According to the FBI, there were 880,418 reports of fraud in 2023 resulting in $12.5 billion losses through theft. According to FTC reports, $10 billion was lost to fraud in 2023. The financial losses are believed to be grossly understated due to many crimes not being reported out of the victim’s sense of shame and fear of public reaction.

Anyone can be scammed, and the schemes are becoming more sophisticated each day.

Mary Ellen Strange is one of those affected, having suffered life-altering losses just last summer. She now works to educate others on how to avoid such scams and prevent this from happening to anyone else. Come hear her story and learn how to protect yourself.

Special thanks to Melanie Jackman for arranging this presentation.