As a volunteer for AARPDE I had an opportunity to provide social media coverage for the 55+ Expo held at Dover Downs Hotel and Casino on April 18th.

Hubby and I had previously attended a 55+ Expo which is now in it’s 17th year but it seems as though this year it was much more well attended.

The 55+ Expo is sponsored by the Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce and there were many vendors representing numerous services throughout the state. However, because AARPDE was a Gold Sponsor and I am an AARP member volunteer, I focused solely on our participation, however, I am sure you can read more about the day in the local news.

I did take several pictures of other volunteers and attendees which can be seen on the AARPDE Facebook page, but the highlight of the day was a “Fireside Chat” with speaker, Gina Schoenberg, who was representing the Delaware Department of Justice and she spoke about the many scams that seniors as well as others should be made aware of.

If you or someone you know had been scammed or had been the victim of fraud, this was the place to be. Gina Schoenberg, deputy attorney general for the Delaware Department of Justices spoke about various Scam Alerts including, IRS Scams; Internet Opt-In Scams; Telephone Scams; Identity Theft; Debit and Credit Card Scams.

Gina, is the chair of the Senior Protection Initiative and they lead the efforts to work with law enforcement and state agencies serving older Delawareans of which many were in attendance. Her main goal is to prevent fraud through community outreach and consumer education.

There were several poignant statements and eye opening questions from the audience which I also live streamed but if you want to learn more, head over to the AARP Fraud Watch Network

Delaware recently ranked #4 among all states for number of identity theft complaints; and ranked #8 for general fraud complaints so this “Fireside Chat” was definitely needed. If you are a member of a church or organization that would like to have Gina present at a program, please contact her directly at [email protected] or reach out to AARPDE.