St. Louis, Mo., June 14, 2021 – In its nearly two decades of existence, the St. Louis Consumer Fraud Task Force (CFTF) has issued warnings about a number of frauds, many of them targeting senior citizens.
Tuesday, June 15, 2021, is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Established by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization, the purpose of the day is to provide an opportunity for communities to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by raising awareness of cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect.
Organizers encourage the community to keep in contact and talk with older friends, neighbors and relatives frequently; be aware and alert for the possibility of abuse; take note of what might be happening to older neighbors and acquaintances; and ask questions and listen.
The Task Force, formed in October 2002, is a coalition of local, state and federal government agencies and nonprofit business and consumer groups in Missouri and Illinois that work together to protect consumer and donor rights and guard against fraud.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Task Force has met on a monthly basis to share information in an attempt to keep consumers safe.
The group has tackled predatory payday loan offers, tax scams, timeshare fraud, credit repair and foreclosure scams, bogus sweepstakes, internet sweetheart scams, phony grant scams, home remodeling, elder fraud, payment scams and a variety of other issues.
To obtain information, or to report a scam, contact members of the Task Force:
- Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern and Southwest Missouri and Southern Illinois – (888) 996-3887; org
- Federal Trade Commission – (877) FTC-HELP (382-4357); gov
- Federal Bureau of Investigations – (314) 589-2500
- Illinois Attorney General – (800) 243-0618; gov
- Illinois Secretary of State – Securities Department – 800-628-7937
- Missouri Attorney General – (800) 392-8222; mo.gov
- Louis Metropolitan Police Department – (314) 231-1212; slmpd.org
- S. Attorney, Eastern District of Missouri – (314) 539-2200; www.usdoj.gov/usao/moe
- S. Postal Inspection Service – (877) 876-2455; postalinspectors.uspis.gov
U.S. Secret Service – (314) 539-2238; secretservice.gov
