The city of Palmdale Neighborhood Services Department will host a pair of free workshops designed to arm the community with knowledge and tools to safeguard against scams and theft. The workshops will begin at 7 p.m. at the Palmdale City Council chamber, 38300 Sierra Highway, Suite B., and are part of National Consumer Protection Week. Admission is free.
On March 7, “Identity Theft and Scams, Schemes and Cons” will examine how identity theft occurs, how persons can minimize individual risk, and what do if you become a victim of identity theft. Additional information will cover the many different types of scams that exist, how to identify them and how to avoid them.
The second workshop, scheduled March 9, is called “Internet Scams and Online Safety” and will discuss how criminals use computers to steal personal information, and what you can do to protect your computer.
“Scam artists around the world defraud millions of people each year,” said Kery German, Palmdale crime prevention officer. “They use the phone, postal mail, and the Internet to trick people into sending money or giving your personal information.” German said he once took a call from a resident who lost $50,000 in a lottery scam. “Many people say ‘I would never fall for that,’ or ‘that would never happened to me,’ but you’d be surprised at how convincing these scam artists are,” German explained. “These workshops will give residents the information they need to protect themselves and their finances.”
For more details, call the Palmdale Crime Prevention office at (661) 267-5170.
