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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 03/31/24 by <b>Julie Rasicot</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p>San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder fraud.<br><br>“I’m seeing them and hearing them as I fall asleep at night,” he says. “The fact that we have to tell them that there’s nothing that can be done to get their money back or to hold the people accountable. ... That’s what drives me.”<br><br>As head of the county district attorney office’s long-standing Elder Abuse Unit, Pirrello prosecutes crimes affecting older people. Four years ago, his unit began targeting <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.sdcda.org/helping/financial-elder-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">elder financial scams</a></span></span> — everything from grandparent scams to cryptocurrency fraud — after discovering local police departments weren’t able to investigate these cases even when victims reported they had experienced fraud.<br><br>“They’re being told there’s nothing that can be done, and so these cases are not making it to prosecutors’ offices,” Pirrello says.<br><br>Nationwide, such crimes have skyrocketed, as crooks’ technological sophistication has grown.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="left"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/59/90/904ef2e84299b7754659ee3b7fc8/california-art.png" alt="Graphic by Nicolas Rapp" width="898" height="714" style="height: auto; max-width: 360px;"/> <figcaption class="Figure-caption">Chart by Nicolas Rapp</figcaption> </figure> </div> </div><p>In San Diego Count alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023, according to the FBI. The Federal Trade Commission says losses reported by adults 60 and older totaled at least $1.6 billion in the U.S. in 2022. That figure doesn’t represent “even a drop in the bucket of what’s actually happening” because of underreporting by people who don’t know they’ve been a crime victim or are too embarrassed to report it, says Kathy Stokes, AARP director of <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fraud prevention programs</a></span></span>. In fact, the FTC estimates fraud losses by those 60 and older could have been as high as $48.4 billion in 2022.<br><br>Pirrello and his team are gaining national attention for their efforts, which include helping to develop in 2021 the Elder Justice Task Force, involving the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Adult Protective Services, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other agencies. Pirrello says the task force is on the cutting edge of tracking fraud, in part because it gathers law enforcement data in real time. For example, it trains police officers to get from scam victims actionable information, such as phone numbers and email addresses used by scammers.<br><br><b>A tech-support swindle</b><br><br>The task force’s cases involve many of the most common ones in the scam game.<br><br>In October 2023, the district attorney’s office charged a 22-year-old man from San Gabriel in a tech-support and banking scam that stole more than $200,000 in cash from a 65-year-old woman who was told the move would protect her funds.<br><br>According to the district attorney’s office, the woman’s computer froze and a pop-up message from “Microsoft” provided a phone number to call to fix the problem. It ended with her making several withdrawals of $20,000 to $30,000 after somebody from “Chase Bank” said her account had been compromised. The San Gabriel man was arrested when authorities say he went to the woman’s home to pick up some cash. (Neither Microsoft nor Chase was actually involved.)<br><br>A prosecutor for 18 years, New York native Pirrello worked in real estate and technology before heading at age 25 to the University of San Diego for law school.<br><br>About 15 years ago, he sought the mentorship of Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood, longtime head of the Elder Abuse Unit. Pirrello learned to think outside the box, using such tactics as charging contractors with residential burglary for accepting payment from victims but not performing the contracted work.<br><br>“It’s much more than just a career,” says Greenwood, who retired in 2018 and is an elder abuse consultant for AARP. “… It’s having a desire to seek some kind of accountability and some kind of justice for victims that often believe that nobody is going to pay them any attention.”<br><br>Pirrello and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan say the task force can be a national model for fighting fraud. But the job ahead is massive.<br><br>“We haven’t even scratched the surface of the things that we could be doing to protect our seniors,” Pirrello says.<br><br><i>Julie Rasicot, a writer and editor in Montgomery County, Maryland, writes regularly for the AARP Bulletin.</i></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-brightcoveplayer data-video-player class="BrightcoveVideoPlayer" data-account="3772599298001" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-video-title="AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud" > <video class="video-js" id="BrightcoveVideoPlayer-6284388591001" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-account="" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-embed="default" controls ></video> </bsp-brightcoveplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>More on fraud</b><br></p><ul><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/top-scammer-list.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">6 Top Scams to Watch Out for in 2024</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2023/build-better-passwords.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">5 Ways to Build Better Passwords</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/protecting-yourself-from-criminals.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">13 Ways to Protect Yourself from Fraud</a></span></span></li></ul></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP California. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank">AARP California</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/sacramento-ca/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html): failed to open stream: No such file or directory [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . 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Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP California Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP California Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP <br />in Sacramento</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:CAaarp@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">CAaarp@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP California</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-california/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-SACRAMENTO-CA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png" alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPCA" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png" alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarpca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</title> <meta name="page_title" content="California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder" name="description"/> <meta content="California, As, Scam, Artists, Adapt, So, Does, Local, DA" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://states.aarp.org/california/california-as-scam-artists-adapt-so-does-local-da" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/news/california-as-scam-artists-adapt-so-does-local-da-ca-2024-03-31.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Fraud against older adults has skyrocketed in recent years. In San Diego County alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023,"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2a4e55f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/972x625+69+0/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2F05%2Fb5%2F11168bd4577ddb3897ba9c9ea598%2Fscam-jam.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Fraud against older adults has skyrocketed in recent years. In San Diego County alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023,"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2a4e55f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/972x625+69+0/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2F05%2Fb5%2F11168bd4577ddb3897ba9c9ea598%2Fscam-jam.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }', 'title_for_layout' => '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 03/31/24 by <b>Julie Rasicot</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p>San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder fraud.<br><br>“I’m seeing them and hearing them as I fall asleep at night,” he says. “The fact that we have to tell them that there’s nothing that can be done to get their money back or to hold the people accountable. ... That’s what drives me.”<br><br>As head of the county district attorney office’s long-standing Elder Abuse Unit, Pirrello prosecutes crimes affecting older people. Four years ago, his unit began targeting <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.sdcda.org/helping/financial-elder-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">elder financial scams</a></span></span> — everything from grandparent scams to cryptocurrency fraud — after discovering local police departments weren’t able to investigate these cases even when victims reported they had experienced fraud.<br><br>“They’re being told there’s nothing that can be done, and so these cases are not making it to prosecutors’ offices,” Pirrello says.<br><br>Nationwide, such crimes have skyrocketed, as crooks’ technological sophistication has grown.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="left"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/59/90/904ef2e84299b7754659ee3b7fc8/california-art.png" alt="Graphic by Nicolas Rapp" width="898" height="714" style="height: auto; max-width: 360px;"/> <figcaption class="Figure-caption">Chart by Nicolas Rapp</figcaption> </figure> </div> </div><p>In San Diego Count alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023, according to the FBI. The Federal Trade Commission says losses reported by adults 60 and older totaled at least $1.6 billion in the U.S. in 2022. That figure doesn’t represent “even a drop in the bucket of what’s actually happening” because of underreporting by people who don’t know they’ve been a crime victim or are too embarrassed to report it, says Kathy Stokes, AARP director of <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fraud prevention programs</a></span></span>. In fact, the FTC estimates fraud losses by those 60 and older could have been as high as $48.4 billion in 2022.<br><br>Pirrello and his team are gaining national attention for their efforts, which include helping to develop in 2021 the Elder Justice Task Force, involving the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Adult Protective Services, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other agencies. Pirrello says the task force is on the cutting edge of tracking fraud, in part because it gathers law enforcement data in real time. For example, it trains police officers to get from scam victims actionable information, such as phone numbers and email addresses used by scammers.<br><br><b>A tech-support swindle</b><br><br>The task force’s cases involve many of the most common ones in the scam game.<br><br>In October 2023, the district attorney’s office charged a 22-year-old man from San Gabriel in a tech-support and banking scam that stole more than $200,000 in cash from a 65-year-old woman who was told the move would protect her funds.<br><br>According to the district attorney’s office, the woman’s computer froze and a pop-up message from “Microsoft” provided a phone number to call to fix the problem. It ended with her making several withdrawals of $20,000 to $30,000 after somebody from “Chase Bank” said her account had been compromised. The San Gabriel man was arrested when authorities say he went to the woman’s home to pick up some cash. (Neither Microsoft nor Chase was actually involved.)<br><br>A prosecutor for 18 years, New York native Pirrello worked in real estate and technology before heading at age 25 to the University of San Diego for law school.<br><br>About 15 years ago, he sought the mentorship of Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood, longtime head of the Elder Abuse Unit. Pirrello learned to think outside the box, using such tactics as charging contractors with residential burglary for accepting payment from victims but not performing the contracted work.<br><br>“It’s much more than just a career,” says Greenwood, who retired in 2018 and is an elder abuse consultant for AARP. “… It’s having a desire to seek some kind of accountability and some kind of justice for victims that often believe that nobody is going to pay them any attention.”<br><br>Pirrello and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan say the task force can be a national model for fighting fraud. But the job ahead is massive.<br><br>“We haven’t even scratched the surface of the things that we could be doing to protect our seniors,” Pirrello says.<br><br><i>Julie Rasicot, a writer and editor in Montgomery County, Maryland, writes regularly for the AARP Bulletin.</i></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-brightcoveplayer data-video-player class="BrightcoveVideoPlayer" data-account="3772599298001" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-video-title="AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud" > <video class="video-js" id="BrightcoveVideoPlayer-6284388591001" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-account="" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-embed="default" controls ></video> </bsp-brightcoveplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>More on fraud</b><br></p><ul><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/top-scammer-list.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">6 Top Scams to Watch Out for in 2024</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2023/build-better-passwords.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">5 Ways to Build Better Passwords</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/protecting-yourself-from-criminals.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">13 Ways to Protect Yourself from Fraud</a></span></span></li></ul></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP California. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank">AARP California</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/sacramento-ca/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html): failed to open stream: No such file or directory [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? 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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 03/31/24 by <b>Julie Rasicot</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p>San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder fraud.<br><br>“I’m seeing them and hearing them as I fall asleep at night,” he says. “The fact that we have to tell them that there’s nothing that can be done to get their money back or to hold the people accountable. ... That’s what drives me.”<br><br>As head of the county district attorney office’s long-standing Elder Abuse Unit, Pirrello prosecutes crimes affecting older people. Four years ago, his unit began targeting <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.sdcda.org/helping/financial-elder-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">elder financial scams</a></span></span> — everything from grandparent scams to cryptocurrency fraud — after discovering local police departments weren’t able to investigate these cases even when victims reported they had experienced fraud.<br><br>“They’re being told there’s nothing that can be done, and so these cases are not making it to prosecutors’ offices,” Pirrello says.<br><br>Nationwide, such crimes have skyrocketed, as crooks’ technological sophistication has grown.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="left"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/59/90/904ef2e84299b7754659ee3b7fc8/california-art.png" alt="Graphic by Nicolas Rapp" width="898" height="714" style="height: auto; max-width: 360px;"/> <figcaption class="Figure-caption">Chart by Nicolas Rapp</figcaption> </figure> </div> </div><p>In San Diego Count alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023, according to the FBI. The Federal Trade Commission says losses reported by adults 60 and older totaled at least $1.6 billion in the U.S. in 2022. That figure doesn’t represent “even a drop in the bucket of what’s actually happening” because of underreporting by people who don’t know they’ve been a crime victim or are too embarrassed to report it, says Kathy Stokes, AARP director of <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fraud prevention programs</a></span></span>. In fact, the FTC estimates fraud losses by those 60 and older could have been as high as $48.4 billion in 2022.<br><br>Pirrello and his team are gaining national attention for their efforts, which include helping to develop in 2021 the Elder Justice Task Force, involving the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Adult Protective Services, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other agencies. Pirrello says the task force is on the cutting edge of tracking fraud, in part because it gathers law enforcement data in real time. For example, it trains police officers to get from scam victims actionable information, such as phone numbers and email addresses used by scammers.<br><br><b>A tech-support swindle</b><br><br>The task force’s cases involve many of the most common ones in the scam game.<br><br>In October 2023, the district attorney’s office charged a 22-year-old man from San Gabriel in a tech-support and banking scam that stole more than $200,000 in cash from a 65-year-old woman who was told the move would protect her funds.<br><br>According to the district attorney’s office, the woman’s computer froze and a pop-up message from “Microsoft” provided a phone number to call to fix the problem. It ended with her making several withdrawals of $20,000 to $30,000 after somebody from “Chase Bank” said her account had been compromised. The San Gabriel man was arrested when authorities say he went to the woman’s home to pick up some cash. (Neither Microsoft nor Chase was actually involved.)<br><br>A prosecutor for 18 years, New York native Pirrello worked in real estate and technology before heading at age 25 to the University of San Diego for law school.<br><br>About 15 years ago, he sought the mentorship of Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood, longtime head of the Elder Abuse Unit. Pirrello learned to think outside the box, using such tactics as charging contractors with residential burglary for accepting payment from victims but not performing the contracted work.<br><br>“It’s much more than just a career,” says Greenwood, who retired in 2018 and is an elder abuse consultant for AARP. “… It’s having a desire to seek some kind of accountability and some kind of justice for victims that often believe that nobody is going to pay them any attention.”<br><br>Pirrello and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan say the task force can be a national model for fighting fraud. But the job ahead is massive.<br><br>“We haven’t even scratched the surface of the things that we could be doing to protect our seniors,” Pirrello says.<br><br><i>Julie Rasicot, a writer and editor in Montgomery County, Maryland, writes regularly for the AARP Bulletin.</i></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-brightcoveplayer data-video-player class="BrightcoveVideoPlayer" data-account="3772599298001" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-video-title="AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud" > <video class="video-js" id="BrightcoveVideoPlayer-6284388591001" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-account="" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-embed="default" controls ></video> </bsp-brightcoveplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>More on fraud</b><br></p><ul><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/top-scammer-list.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">6 Top Scams to Watch Out for in 2024</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2023/build-better-passwords.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">5 Ways to Build Better Passwords</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/protecting-yourself-from-criminals.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">13 Ways to Protect Yourself from Fraud</a></span></span></li></ul></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP California. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank">AARP California</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/sacramento-ca/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html): failed to open stream: No such file or directory [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP California Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP California Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP <br />in Sacramento</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:CAaarp@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">CAaarp@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP California</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-california/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-SACRAMENTO-CA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png" alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPCA" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png" alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarpca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</title> <meta name="page_title" content="California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder" name="description"/> <meta content="California, As, Scam, Artists, Adapt, So, Does, Local, DA" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://states.aarp.org/california/california-as-scam-artists-adapt-so-does-local-da" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/news/california-as-scam-artists-adapt-so-does-local-da-ca-2024-03-31.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Fraud against older adults has skyrocketed in recent years. In San Diego County alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023,"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2a4e55f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/972x625+69+0/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2F05%2Fb5%2F11168bd4577ddb3897ba9c9ea598%2Fscam-jam.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Fraud against older adults has skyrocketed in recent years. In San Diego County alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023,"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2a4e55f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/972x625+69+0/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2F05%2Fb5%2F11168bd4577ddb3897ba9c9ea598%2Fscam-jam.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }', 'title_for_layout' => '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 03/31/24 by <b>Julie Rasicot</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p>San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder fraud.<br><br>“I’m seeing them and hearing them as I fall asleep at night,” he says. “The fact that we have to tell them that there’s nothing that can be done to get their money back or to hold the people accountable. ... That’s what drives me.”<br><br>As head of the county district attorney office’s long-standing Elder Abuse Unit, Pirrello prosecutes crimes affecting older people. Four years ago, his unit began targeting <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.sdcda.org/helping/financial-elder-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">elder financial scams</a></span></span> — everything from grandparent scams to cryptocurrency fraud — after discovering local police departments weren’t able to investigate these cases even when victims reported they had experienced fraud.<br><br>“They’re being told there’s nothing that can be done, and so these cases are not making it to prosecutors’ offices,” Pirrello says.<br><br>Nationwide, such crimes have skyrocketed, as crooks’ technological sophistication has grown.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="left"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/59/90/904ef2e84299b7754659ee3b7fc8/california-art.png" alt="Graphic by Nicolas Rapp" width="898" height="714" style="height: auto; max-width: 360px;"/> <figcaption class="Figure-caption">Chart by Nicolas Rapp</figcaption> </figure> </div> </div><p>In San Diego Count alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023, according to the FBI. The Federal Trade Commission says losses reported by adults 60 and older totaled at least $1.6 billion in the U.S. in 2022. That figure doesn’t represent “even a drop in the bucket of what’s actually happening” because of underreporting by people who don’t know they’ve been a crime victim or are too embarrassed to report it, says Kathy Stokes, AARP director of <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fraud prevention programs</a></span></span>. In fact, the FTC estimates fraud losses by those 60 and older could have been as high as $48.4 billion in 2022.<br><br>Pirrello and his team are gaining national attention for their efforts, which include helping to develop in 2021 the Elder Justice Task Force, involving the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Adult Protective Services, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other agencies. Pirrello says the task force is on the cutting edge of tracking fraud, in part because it gathers law enforcement data in real time. For example, it trains police officers to get from scam victims actionable information, such as phone numbers and email addresses used by scammers.<br><br><b>A tech-support swindle</b><br><br>The task force’s cases involve many of the most common ones in the scam game.<br><br>In October 2023, the district attorney’s office charged a 22-year-old man from San Gabriel in a tech-support and banking scam that stole more than $200,000 in cash from a 65-year-old woman who was told the move would protect her funds.<br><br>According to the district attorney’s office, the woman’s computer froze and a pop-up message from “Microsoft” provided a phone number to call to fix the problem. It ended with her making several withdrawals of $20,000 to $30,000 after somebody from “Chase Bank” said her account had been compromised. The San Gabriel man was arrested when authorities say he went to the woman’s home to pick up some cash. (Neither Microsoft nor Chase was actually involved.)<br><br>A prosecutor for 18 years, New York native Pirrello worked in real estate and technology before heading at age 25 to the University of San Diego for law school.<br><br>About 15 years ago, he sought the mentorship of Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood, longtime head of the Elder Abuse Unit. Pirrello learned to think outside the box, using such tactics as charging contractors with residential burglary for accepting payment from victims but not performing the contracted work.<br><br>“It’s much more than just a career,” says Greenwood, who retired in 2018 and is an elder abuse consultant for AARP. “… It’s having a desire to seek some kind of accountability and some kind of justice for victims that often believe that nobody is going to pay them any attention.”<br><br>Pirrello and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan say the task force can be a national model for fighting fraud. But the job ahead is massive.<br><br>“We haven’t even scratched the surface of the things that we could be doing to protect our seniors,” Pirrello says.<br><br><i>Julie Rasicot, a writer and editor in Montgomery County, Maryland, writes regularly for the AARP Bulletin.</i></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-brightcoveplayer data-video-player class="BrightcoveVideoPlayer" data-account="3772599298001" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-video-title="AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud" > <video class="video-js" id="BrightcoveVideoPlayer-6284388591001" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-account="" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-embed="default" controls ></video> </bsp-brightcoveplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>More on fraud</b><br></p><ul><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/top-scammer-list.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">6 Top Scams to Watch Out for in 2024</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2023/build-better-passwords.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">5 Ways to Build Better Passwords</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/protecting-yourself-from-criminals.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">13 Ways to Protect Yourself from Fraud</a></span></span></li></ul></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP California. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank">AARP California</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/sacramento-ca/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html): failed to open stream: No such file or directory [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP California Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP California Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP <br />in Sacramento</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:CAaarp@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">CAaarp@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP California</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-california/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-SACRAMENTO-CA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png" alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPCA" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png" alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarpca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</title> <meta name="page_title" content="California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder" name="description"/> <meta content="California, As, Scam, Artists, Adapt, So, Does, Local, DA" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://states.aarp.org/california/california-as-scam-artists-adapt-so-does-local-da" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/news/california-as-scam-artists-adapt-so-does-local-da-ca-2024-03-31.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Fraud against older adults has skyrocketed in recent years. 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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 03/31/24 by <b>Julie Rasicot</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p>San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder fraud.<br><br>“I’m seeing them and hearing them as I fall asleep at night,” he says. “The fact that we have to tell them that there’s nothing that can be done to get their money back or to hold the people accountable. ... That’s what drives me.”<br><br>As head of the county district attorney office’s long-standing Elder Abuse Unit, Pirrello prosecutes crimes affecting older people. Four years ago, his unit began targeting <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.sdcda.org/helping/financial-elder-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">elder financial scams</a></span></span> — everything from grandparent scams to cryptocurrency fraud — after discovering local police departments weren’t able to investigate these cases even when victims reported they had experienced fraud.<br><br>“They’re being told there’s nothing that can be done, and so these cases are not making it to prosecutors’ offices,” Pirrello says.<br><br>Nationwide, such crimes have skyrocketed, as crooks’ technological sophistication has grown.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="left"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/59/90/904ef2e84299b7754659ee3b7fc8/california-art.png" alt="Graphic by Nicolas Rapp" width="898" height="714" style="height: auto; max-width: 360px;"/> <figcaption class="Figure-caption">Chart by Nicolas Rapp</figcaption> </figure> </div> </div><p>In San Diego Count alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023, according to the FBI. The Federal Trade Commission says losses reported by adults 60 and older totaled at least $1.6 billion in the U.S. in 2022. That figure doesn’t represent “even a drop in the bucket of what’s actually happening” because of underreporting by people who don’t know they’ve been a crime victim or are too embarrassed to report it, says Kathy Stokes, AARP director of <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fraud prevention programs</a></span></span>. In fact, the FTC estimates fraud losses by those 60 and older could have been as high as $48.4 billion in 2022.<br><br>Pirrello and his team are gaining national attention for their efforts, which include helping to develop in 2021 the Elder Justice Task Force, involving the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Adult Protective Services, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other agencies. Pirrello says the task force is on the cutting edge of tracking fraud, in part because it gathers law enforcement data in real time. For example, it trains police officers to get from scam victims actionable information, such as phone numbers and email addresses used by scammers.<br><br><b>A tech-support swindle</b><br><br>The task force’s cases involve many of the most common ones in the scam game.<br><br>In October 2023, the district attorney’s office charged a 22-year-old man from San Gabriel in a tech-support and banking scam that stole more than $200,000 in cash from a 65-year-old woman who was told the move would protect her funds.<br><br>According to the district attorney’s office, the woman’s computer froze and a pop-up message from “Microsoft” provided a phone number to call to fix the problem. It ended with her making several withdrawals of $20,000 to $30,000 after somebody from “Chase Bank” said her account had been compromised. The San Gabriel man was arrested when authorities say he went to the woman’s home to pick up some cash. (Neither Microsoft nor Chase was actually involved.)<br><br>A prosecutor for 18 years, New York native Pirrello worked in real estate and technology before heading at age 25 to the University of San Diego for law school.<br><br>About 15 years ago, he sought the mentorship of Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood, longtime head of the Elder Abuse Unit. Pirrello learned to think outside the box, using such tactics as charging contractors with residential burglary for accepting payment from victims but not performing the contracted work.<br><br>“It’s much more than just a career,” says Greenwood, who retired in 2018 and is an elder abuse consultant for AARP. “… It’s having a desire to seek some kind of accountability and some kind of justice for victims that often believe that nobody is going to pay them any attention.”<br><br>Pirrello and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan say the task force can be a national model for fighting fraud. But the job ahead is massive.<br><br>“We haven’t even scratched the surface of the things that we could be doing to protect our seniors,” Pirrello says.<br><br><i>Julie Rasicot, a writer and editor in Montgomery County, Maryland, writes regularly for the AARP Bulletin.</i></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-brightcoveplayer data-video-player class="BrightcoveVideoPlayer" data-account="3772599298001" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-video-title="AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud" > <video class="video-js" id="BrightcoveVideoPlayer-6284388591001" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-account="" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-embed="default" controls ></video> </bsp-brightcoveplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>More on fraud</b><br></p><ul><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/top-scammer-list.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">6 Top Scams to Watch Out for in 2024</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2023/build-better-passwords.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">5 Ways to Build Better Passwords</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/protecting-yourself-from-criminals.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">13 Ways to Protect Yourself from Fraud</a></span></span></li></ul></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP California. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank">AARP California</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/sacramento-ca/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html): failed to open stream: No such file or directory [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? 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In San Diego County alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023,"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2a4e55f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/972x625+69+0/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2F05%2Fb5%2F11168bd4577ddb3897ba9c9ea598%2Fscam-jam.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Fraud against older adults has skyrocketed in recent years. In San Diego County alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023,"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2a4e55f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/972x625+69+0/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2F05%2Fb5%2F11168bd4577ddb3897ba9c9ea598%2Fscam-jam.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }', 'title_for_layout' => '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 03/31/24 by <b>Julie Rasicot</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p>San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder fraud.<br><br>“I’m seeing them and hearing them as I fall asleep at night,” he says. “The fact that we have to tell them that there’s nothing that can be done to get their money back or to hold the people accountable. ... That’s what drives me.”<br><br>As head of the county district attorney office’s long-standing Elder Abuse Unit, Pirrello prosecutes crimes affecting older people. Four years ago, his unit began targeting <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.sdcda.org/helping/financial-elder-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">elder financial scams</a></span></span> — everything from grandparent scams to cryptocurrency fraud — after discovering local police departments weren’t able to investigate these cases even when victims reported they had experienced fraud.<br><br>“They’re being told there’s nothing that can be done, and so these cases are not making it to prosecutors’ offices,” Pirrello says.<br><br>Nationwide, such crimes have skyrocketed, as crooks’ technological sophistication has grown.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="left"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/59/90/904ef2e84299b7754659ee3b7fc8/california-art.png" alt="Graphic by Nicolas Rapp" width="898" height="714" style="height: auto; max-width: 360px;"/> <figcaption class="Figure-caption">Chart by Nicolas Rapp</figcaption> </figure> </div> </div><p>In San Diego Count alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023, according to the FBI. The Federal Trade Commission says losses reported by adults 60 and older totaled at least $1.6 billion in the U.S. in 2022. That figure doesn’t represent “even a drop in the bucket of what’s actually happening” because of underreporting by people who don’t know they’ve been a crime victim or are too embarrassed to report it, says Kathy Stokes, AARP director of <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fraud prevention programs</a></span></span>. In fact, the FTC estimates fraud losses by those 60 and older could have been as high as $48.4 billion in 2022.<br><br>Pirrello and his team are gaining national attention for their efforts, which include helping to develop in 2021 the Elder Justice Task Force, involving the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Adult Protective Services, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other agencies. Pirrello says the task force is on the cutting edge of tracking fraud, in part because it gathers law enforcement data in real time. For example, it trains police officers to get from scam victims actionable information, such as phone numbers and email addresses used by scammers.<br><br><b>A tech-support swindle</b><br><br>The task force’s cases involve many of the most common ones in the scam game.<br><br>In October 2023, the district attorney’s office charged a 22-year-old man from San Gabriel in a tech-support and banking scam that stole more than $200,000 in cash from a 65-year-old woman who was told the move would protect her funds.<br><br>According to the district attorney’s office, the woman’s computer froze and a pop-up message from “Microsoft” provided a phone number to call to fix the problem. It ended with her making several withdrawals of $20,000 to $30,000 after somebody from “Chase Bank” said her account had been compromised. The San Gabriel man was arrested when authorities say he went to the woman’s home to pick up some cash. (Neither Microsoft nor Chase was actually involved.)<br><br>A prosecutor for 18 years, New York native Pirrello worked in real estate and technology before heading at age 25 to the University of San Diego for law school.<br><br>About 15 years ago, he sought the mentorship of Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood, longtime head of the Elder Abuse Unit. Pirrello learned to think outside the box, using such tactics as charging contractors with residential burglary for accepting payment from victims but not performing the contracted work.<br><br>“It’s much more than just a career,” says Greenwood, who retired in 2018 and is an elder abuse consultant for AARP. “… It’s having a desire to seek some kind of accountability and some kind of justice for victims that often believe that nobody is going to pay them any attention.”<br><br>Pirrello and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan say the task force can be a national model for fighting fraud. But the job ahead is massive.<br><br>“We haven’t even scratched the surface of the things that we could be doing to protect our seniors,” Pirrello says.<br><br><i>Julie Rasicot, a writer and editor in Montgomery County, Maryland, writes regularly for the AARP Bulletin.</i></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-brightcoveplayer data-video-player class="BrightcoveVideoPlayer" data-account="3772599298001" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-video-title="AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud" > <video class="video-js" id="BrightcoveVideoPlayer-6284388591001" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-account="" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-embed="default" controls ></video> </bsp-brightcoveplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>More on fraud</b><br></p><ul><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/top-scammer-list.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">6 Top Scams to Watch Out for in 2024</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2023/build-better-passwords.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">5 Ways to Build Better Passwords</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/protecting-yourself-from-criminals.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">13 Ways to Protect Yourself from Fraud</a></span></span></li></ul></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP California. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank">AARP California</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/sacramento-ca/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html): failed to open stream: No such file or directory [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP California Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP California Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP <br />in Sacramento</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:CAaarp@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">CAaarp@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP California</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-california/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-SACRAMENTO-CA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png" alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPCA" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png" alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarpca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</title> <meta name="page_title" content="California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder" name="description"/> <meta content="California, As, Scam, Artists, Adapt, So, Does, Local, DA" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://states.aarp.org/california/california-as-scam-artists-adapt-so-does-local-da" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/news/california-as-scam-artists-adapt-so-does-local-da-ca-2024-03-31.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Fraud against older adults has skyrocketed in recent years. 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Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.resource.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 54]Code Context<?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBD
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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 03/31/24 by <b>Julie Rasicot</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p>San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder fraud.<br><br>“I’m seeing them and hearing them as I fall asleep at night,” he says. “The fact that we have to tell them that there’s nothing that can be done to get their money back or to hold the people accountable. ... That’s what drives me.”<br><br>As head of the county district attorney office’s long-standing Elder Abuse Unit, Pirrello prosecutes crimes affecting older people. Four years ago, his unit began targeting <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.sdcda.org/helping/financial-elder-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">elder financial scams</a></span></span> — everything from grandparent scams to cryptocurrency fraud — after discovering local police departments weren’t able to investigate these cases even when victims reported they had experienced fraud.<br><br>“They’re being told there’s nothing that can be done, and so these cases are not making it to prosecutors’ offices,” Pirrello says.<br><br>Nationwide, such crimes have skyrocketed, as crooks’ technological sophistication has grown.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="left"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/59/90/904ef2e84299b7754659ee3b7fc8/california-art.png" alt="Graphic by Nicolas Rapp" width="898" height="714" style="height: auto; max-width: 360px;"/> <figcaption class="Figure-caption">Chart by Nicolas Rapp</figcaption> </figure> </div> </div><p>In San Diego Count alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023, according to the FBI. The Federal Trade Commission says losses reported by adults 60 and older totaled at least $1.6 billion in the U.S. in 2022. That figure doesn’t represent “even a drop in the bucket of what’s actually happening” because of underreporting by people who don’t know they’ve been a crime victim or are too embarrassed to report it, says Kathy Stokes, AARP director of <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fraud prevention programs</a></span></span>. In fact, the FTC estimates fraud losses by those 60 and older could have been as high as $48.4 billion in 2022.<br><br>Pirrello and his team are gaining national attention for their efforts, which include helping to develop in 2021 the Elder Justice Task Force, involving the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Adult Protective Services, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other agencies. Pirrello says the task force is on the cutting edge of tracking fraud, in part because it gathers law enforcement data in real time. For example, it trains police officers to get from scam victims actionable information, such as phone numbers and email addresses used by scammers.<br><br><b>A tech-support swindle</b><br><br>The task force’s cases involve many of the most common ones in the scam game.<br><br>In October 2023, the district attorney’s office charged a 22-year-old man from San Gabriel in a tech-support and banking scam that stole more than $200,000 in cash from a 65-year-old woman who was told the move would protect her funds.<br><br>According to the district attorney’s office, the woman’s computer froze and a pop-up message from “Microsoft” provided a phone number to call to fix the problem. It ended with her making several withdrawals of $20,000 to $30,000 after somebody from “Chase Bank” said her account had been compromised. The San Gabriel man was arrested when authorities say he went to the woman’s home to pick up some cash. (Neither Microsoft nor Chase was actually involved.)<br><br>A prosecutor for 18 years, New York native Pirrello worked in real estate and technology before heading at age 25 to the University of San Diego for law school.<br><br>About 15 years ago, he sought the mentorship of Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood, longtime head of the Elder Abuse Unit. Pirrello learned to think outside the box, using such tactics as charging contractors with residential burglary for accepting payment from victims but not performing the contracted work.<br><br>“It’s much more than just a career,” says Greenwood, who retired in 2018 and is an elder abuse consultant for AARP. “… It’s having a desire to seek some kind of accountability and some kind of justice for victims that often believe that nobody is going to pay them any attention.”<br><br>Pirrello and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan say the task force can be a national model for fighting fraud. But the job ahead is massive.<br><br>“We haven’t even scratched the surface of the things that we could be doing to protect our seniors,” Pirrello says.<br><br><i>Julie Rasicot, a writer and editor in Montgomery County, Maryland, writes regularly for the AARP Bulletin.</i></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-brightcoveplayer data-video-player class="BrightcoveVideoPlayer" data-account="3772599298001" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-video-title="AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud" > <video class="video-js" id="BrightcoveVideoPlayer-6284388591001" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-account="" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-embed="default" controls ></video> </bsp-brightcoveplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>More on fraud</b><br></p><ul><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/top-scammer-list.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">6 Top Scams to Watch Out for in 2024</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2023/build-better-passwords.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">5 Ways to Build Better Passwords</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/protecting-yourself-from-criminals.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">13 Ways to Protect Yourself from Fraud</a></span></span></li></ul></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP California. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank">AARP California</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/sacramento-ca/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html): failed to open stream: No such file or directory [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? 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In San Diego County alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023,"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2a4e55f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/972x625+69+0/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2F05%2Fb5%2F11168bd4577ddb3897ba9c9ea598%2Fscam-jam.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Fraud against older adults has skyrocketed in recent years. In San Diego County alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023,"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2a4e55f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/972x625+69+0/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2F05%2Fb5%2F11168bd4577ddb3897ba9c9ea598%2Fscam-jam.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }', 'title_for_layout' => '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 03/31/24 by <b>Julie Rasicot</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p>San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder fraud.<br><br>“I’m seeing them and hearing them as I fall asleep at night,” he says. “The fact that we have to tell them that there’s nothing that can be done to get their money back or to hold the people accountable. ... That’s what drives me.”<br><br>As head of the county district attorney office’s long-standing Elder Abuse Unit, Pirrello prosecutes crimes affecting older people. Four years ago, his unit began targeting <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.sdcda.org/helping/financial-elder-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">elder financial scams</a></span></span> — everything from grandparent scams to cryptocurrency fraud — after discovering local police departments weren’t able to investigate these cases even when victims reported they had experienced fraud.<br><br>“They’re being told there’s nothing that can be done, and so these cases are not making it to prosecutors’ offices,” Pirrello says.<br><br>Nationwide, such crimes have skyrocketed, as crooks’ technological sophistication has grown.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="left"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/59/90/904ef2e84299b7754659ee3b7fc8/california-art.png" alt="Graphic by Nicolas Rapp" width="898" height="714" style="height: auto; max-width: 360px;"/> <figcaption class="Figure-caption">Chart by Nicolas Rapp</figcaption> </figure> </div> </div><p>In San Diego Count alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023, according to the FBI. The Federal Trade Commission says losses reported by adults 60 and older totaled at least $1.6 billion in the U.S. in 2022. That figure doesn’t represent “even a drop in the bucket of what’s actually happening” because of underreporting by people who don’t know they’ve been a crime victim or are too embarrassed to report it, says Kathy Stokes, AARP director of <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fraud prevention programs</a></span></span>. In fact, the FTC estimates fraud losses by those 60 and older could have been as high as $48.4 billion in 2022.<br><br>Pirrello and his team are gaining national attention for their efforts, which include helping to develop in 2021 the Elder Justice Task Force, involving the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Adult Protective Services, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other agencies. Pirrello says the task force is on the cutting edge of tracking fraud, in part because it gathers law enforcement data in real time. For example, it trains police officers to get from scam victims actionable information, such as phone numbers and email addresses used by scammers.<br><br><b>A tech-support swindle</b><br><br>The task force’s cases involve many of the most common ones in the scam game.<br><br>In October 2023, the district attorney’s office charged a 22-year-old man from San Gabriel in a tech-support and banking scam that stole more than $200,000 in cash from a 65-year-old woman who was told the move would protect her funds.<br><br>According to the district attorney’s office, the woman’s computer froze and a pop-up message from “Microsoft” provided a phone number to call to fix the problem. It ended with her making several withdrawals of $20,000 to $30,000 after somebody from “Chase Bank” said her account had been compromised. The San Gabriel man was arrested when authorities say he went to the woman’s home to pick up some cash. (Neither Microsoft nor Chase was actually involved.)<br><br>A prosecutor for 18 years, New York native Pirrello worked in real estate and technology before heading at age 25 to the University of San Diego for law school.<br><br>About 15 years ago, he sought the mentorship of Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood, longtime head of the Elder Abuse Unit. Pirrello learned to think outside the box, using such tactics as charging contractors with residential burglary for accepting payment from victims but not performing the contracted work.<br><br>“It’s much more than just a career,” says Greenwood, who retired in 2018 and is an elder abuse consultant for AARP. “… It’s having a desire to seek some kind of accountability and some kind of justice for victims that often believe that nobody is going to pay them any attention.”<br><br>Pirrello and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan say the task force can be a national model for fighting fraud. But the job ahead is massive.<br><br>“We haven’t even scratched the surface of the things that we could be doing to protect our seniors,” Pirrello says.<br><br><i>Julie Rasicot, a writer and editor in Montgomery County, Maryland, writes regularly for the AARP Bulletin.</i></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-brightcoveplayer data-video-player class="BrightcoveVideoPlayer" data-account="3772599298001" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-video-title="AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud" > <video class="video-js" id="BrightcoveVideoPlayer-6284388591001" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-account="" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-embed="default" controls ></video> </bsp-brightcoveplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>More on fraud</b><br></p><ul><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/top-scammer-list.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">6 Top Scams to Watch Out for in 2024</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2023/build-better-passwords.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">5 Ways to Build Better Passwords</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/protecting-yourself-from-criminals.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">13 Ways to Protect Yourself from Fraud</a></span></span></li></ul></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP California. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank">AARP California</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/sacramento-ca/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html): failed to open stream: No such file or directory [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . 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Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? 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San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder fraud.
“I’m seeing them and hearing them as I fall asleep at night,” he says. “The fact that we have to tell them that there’s nothing that can be done to get their money back or to hold the people accountable. ... That’s what drives me.”
As head of the county district attorney office’s long-standing Elder Abuse Unit, Pirrello prosecutes crimes affecting older people. Four years ago, his unit began targeting elder financial scams — everything from grandparent scams to cryptocurrency fraud — after discovering local police departments weren’t able to investigate these cases even when victims reported they had experienced fraud.
“They’re being told there’s nothing that can be done, and so these cases are not making it to prosecutors’ offices,” Pirrello says.
Nationwide, such crimes have skyrocketed, as crooks’ technological sophistication has grown.
In San Diego Count alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023, according to the FBI. The Federal Trade Commission says losses reported by adults 60 and older totaled at least $1.6 billion in the U.S. in 2022. That figure doesn’t represent “even a drop in the bucket of what’s actually happening” because of underreporting by people who don’t know they’ve been a crime victim or are too embarrassed to report it, says Kathy Stokes, AARP director of fraud prevention programs. In fact, the FTC estimates fraud losses by those 60 and older could have been as high as $48.4 billion in 2022.
Pirrello and his team are gaining national attention for their efforts, which include helping to develop in 2021 the Elder Justice Task Force, involving the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Adult Protective Services, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other agencies. Pirrello says the task force is on the cutting edge of tracking fraud, in part because it gathers law enforcement data in real time. For example, it trains police officers to get from scam victims actionable information, such as phone numbers and email addresses used by scammers.
A tech-support swindle
The task force’s cases involve many of the most common ones in the scam game.
In October 2023, the district attorney’s office charged a 22-year-old man from San Gabriel in a tech-support and banking scam that stole more than $200,000 in cash from a 65-year-old woman who was told the move would protect her funds.
According to the district attorney’s office, the woman’s computer froze and a pop-up message from “Microsoft” provided a phone number to call to fix the problem. It ended with her making several withdrawals of $20,000 to $30,000 after somebody from “Chase Bank” said her account had been compromised. The San Gabriel man was arrested when authorities say he went to the woman’s home to pick up some cash. (Neither Microsoft nor Chase was actually involved.)
A prosecutor for 18 years, New York native Pirrello worked in real estate and technology before heading at age 25 to the University of San Diego for law school.
About 15 years ago, he sought the mentorship of Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood, longtime head of the Elder Abuse Unit. Pirrello learned to think outside the box, using such tactics as charging contractors with residential burglary for accepting payment from victims but not performing the contracted work.
“It’s much more than just a career,” says Greenwood, who retired in 2018 and is an elder abuse consultant for AARP. “… It’s having a desire to seek some kind of accountability and some kind of justice for victims that often believe that nobody is going to pay them any attention.”
Pirrello and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan say the task force can be a national model for fighting fraud. But the job ahead is massive.
“We haven’t even scratched the surface of the things that we could be doing to protect our seniors,” Pirrello says.
Julie Rasicot, a writer and editor in Montgomery County, Maryland, writes regularly for the AARP Bulletin.
More on fraud
This story is provided by AARP California. Visit the AARP California page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.
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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 03/31/24 by <b>Julie Rasicot</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p>San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder fraud.<br><br>“I’m seeing them and hearing them as I fall asleep at night,” he says. “The fact that we have to tell them that there’s nothing that can be done to get their money back or to hold the people accountable. ... That’s what drives me.”<br><br>As head of the county district attorney office’s long-standing Elder Abuse Unit, Pirrello prosecutes crimes affecting older people. Four years ago, his unit began targeting <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.sdcda.org/helping/financial-elder-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">elder financial scams</a></span></span> — everything from grandparent scams to cryptocurrency fraud — after discovering local police departments weren’t able to investigate these cases even when victims reported they had experienced fraud.<br><br>“They’re being told there’s nothing that can be done, and so these cases are not making it to prosecutors’ offices,” Pirrello says.<br><br>Nationwide, such crimes have skyrocketed, as crooks’ technological sophistication has grown.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="left"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/59/90/904ef2e84299b7754659ee3b7fc8/california-art.png" alt="Graphic by Nicolas Rapp" width="898" height="714" style="height: auto; max-width: 360px;"/> <figcaption class="Figure-caption">Chart by Nicolas Rapp</figcaption> </figure> </div> </div><p>In San Diego Count alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023, according to the FBI. The Federal Trade Commission says losses reported by adults 60 and older totaled at least $1.6 billion in the U.S. in 2022. That figure doesn’t represent “even a drop in the bucket of what’s actually happening” because of underreporting by people who don’t know they’ve been a crime victim or are too embarrassed to report it, says Kathy Stokes, AARP director of <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fraud prevention programs</a></span></span>. In fact, the FTC estimates fraud losses by those 60 and older could have been as high as $48.4 billion in 2022.<br><br>Pirrello and his team are gaining national attention for their efforts, which include helping to develop in 2021 the Elder Justice Task Force, involving the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Adult Protective Services, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other agencies. Pirrello says the task force is on the cutting edge of tracking fraud, in part because it gathers law enforcement data in real time. For example, it trains police officers to get from scam victims actionable information, such as phone numbers and email addresses used by scammers.<br><br><b>A tech-support swindle</b><br><br>The task force’s cases involve many of the most common ones in the scam game.<br><br>In October 2023, the district attorney’s office charged a 22-year-old man from San Gabriel in a tech-support and banking scam that stole more than $200,000 in cash from a 65-year-old woman who was told the move would protect her funds.<br><br>According to the district attorney’s office, the woman’s computer froze and a pop-up message from “Microsoft” provided a phone number to call to fix the problem. It ended with her making several withdrawals of $20,000 to $30,000 after somebody from “Chase Bank” said her account had been compromised. The San Gabriel man was arrested when authorities say he went to the woman’s home to pick up some cash. (Neither Microsoft nor Chase was actually involved.)<br><br>A prosecutor for 18 years, New York native Pirrello worked in real estate and technology before heading at age 25 to the University of San Diego for law school.<br><br>About 15 years ago, he sought the mentorship of Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood, longtime head of the Elder Abuse Unit. Pirrello learned to think outside the box, using such tactics as charging contractors with residential burglary for accepting payment from victims but not performing the contracted work.<br><br>“It’s much more than just a career,” says Greenwood, who retired in 2018 and is an elder abuse consultant for AARP. “… It’s having a desire to seek some kind of accountability and some kind of justice for victims that often believe that nobody is going to pay them any attention.”<br><br>Pirrello and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan say the task force can be a national model for fighting fraud. But the job ahead is massive.<br><br>“We haven’t even scratched the surface of the things that we could be doing to protect our seniors,” Pirrello says.<br><br><i>Julie Rasicot, a writer and editor in Montgomery County, Maryland, writes regularly for the AARP Bulletin.</i></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-brightcoveplayer data-video-player class="BrightcoveVideoPlayer" data-account="3772599298001" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-video-title="AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud" > <video class="video-js" id="BrightcoveVideoPlayer-6284388591001" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-account="" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-embed="default" controls ></video> </bsp-brightcoveplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>More on fraud</b><br></p><ul><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/top-scammer-list.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">6 Top Scams to Watch Out for in 2024</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2023/build-better-passwords.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">5 Ways to Build Better Passwords</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/protecting-yourself-from-criminals.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">13 Ways to Protect Yourself from Fraud</a></span></span></li></ul></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP California. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank">AARP California</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/sacramento-ca/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html): failed to open stream: No such file or directory [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP California Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP California Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP <br />in Sacramento</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:CAaarp@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">CAaarp@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP California</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-california/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-SACRAMENTO-CA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png" alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPCA" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png" alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarpca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</title> <meta name="page_title" content="California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder" name="description"/> <meta content="California, As, Scam, Artists, Adapt, So, Does, Local, DA" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://states.aarp.org/california/california-as-scam-artists-adapt-so-does-local-da" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/news/california-as-scam-artists-adapt-so-does-local-da-ca-2024-03-31.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Fraud against older adults has skyrocketed in recent years. In San Diego County alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023,"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2a4e55f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/972x625+69+0/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2F05%2Fb5%2F11168bd4577ddb3897ba9c9ea598%2Fscam-jam.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Fraud against older adults has skyrocketed in recent years. In San Diego County alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023,"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2a4e55f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/972x625+69+0/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2F05%2Fb5%2F11168bd4577ddb3897ba9c9ea598%2Fscam-jam.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }', 'title_for_layout' => '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 03/31/24 by <b>Julie Rasicot</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p>San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder fraud.<br><br>“I’m seeing them and hearing them as I fall asleep at night,” he says. “The fact that we have to tell them that there’s nothing that can be done to get their money back or to hold the people accountable. ... That’s what drives me.”<br><br>As head of the county district attorney office’s long-standing Elder Abuse Unit, Pirrello prosecutes crimes affecting older people. Four years ago, his unit began targeting <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.sdcda.org/helping/financial-elder-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">elder financial scams</a></span></span> — everything from grandparent scams to cryptocurrency fraud — after discovering local police departments weren’t able to investigate these cases even when victims reported they had experienced fraud.<br><br>“They’re being told there’s nothing that can be done, and so these cases are not making it to prosecutors’ offices,” Pirrello says.<br><br>Nationwide, such crimes have skyrocketed, as crooks’ technological sophistication has grown.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="left"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/59/90/904ef2e84299b7754659ee3b7fc8/california-art.png" alt="Graphic by Nicolas Rapp" width="898" height="714" style="height: auto; max-width: 360px;"/> <figcaption class="Figure-caption">Chart by Nicolas Rapp</figcaption> </figure> </div> </div><p>In San Diego Count alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023, according to the FBI. The Federal Trade Commission says losses reported by adults 60 and older totaled at least $1.6 billion in the U.S. in 2022. That figure doesn’t represent “even a drop in the bucket of what’s actually happening” because of underreporting by people who don’t know they’ve been a crime victim or are too embarrassed to report it, says Kathy Stokes, AARP director of <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fraud prevention programs</a></span></span>. In fact, the FTC estimates fraud losses by those 60 and older could have been as high as $48.4 billion in 2022.<br><br>Pirrello and his team are gaining national attention for their efforts, which include helping to develop in 2021 the Elder Justice Task Force, involving the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Adult Protective Services, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other agencies. Pirrello says the task force is on the cutting edge of tracking fraud, in part because it gathers law enforcement data in real time. For example, it trains police officers to get from scam victims actionable information, such as phone numbers and email addresses used by scammers.<br><br><b>A tech-support swindle</b><br><br>The task force’s cases involve many of the most common ones in the scam game.<br><br>In October 2023, the district attorney’s office charged a 22-year-old man from San Gabriel in a tech-support and banking scam that stole more than $200,000 in cash from a 65-year-old woman who was told the move would protect her funds.<br><br>According to the district attorney’s office, the woman’s computer froze and a pop-up message from “Microsoft” provided a phone number to call to fix the problem. It ended with her making several withdrawals of $20,000 to $30,000 after somebody from “Chase Bank” said her account had been compromised. The San Gabriel man was arrested when authorities say he went to the woman’s home to pick up some cash. (Neither Microsoft nor Chase was actually involved.)<br><br>A prosecutor for 18 years, New York native Pirrello worked in real estate and technology before heading at age 25 to the University of San Diego for law school.<br><br>About 15 years ago, he sought the mentorship of Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood, longtime head of the Elder Abuse Unit. Pirrello learned to think outside the box, using such tactics as charging contractors with residential burglary for accepting payment from victims but not performing the contracted work.<br><br>“It’s much more than just a career,” says Greenwood, who retired in 2018 and is an elder abuse consultant for AARP. “… It’s having a desire to seek some kind of accountability and some kind of justice for victims that often believe that nobody is going to pay them any attention.”<br><br>Pirrello and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan say the task force can be a national model for fighting fraud. But the job ahead is massive.<br><br>“We haven’t even scratched the surface of the things that we could be doing to protect our seniors,” Pirrello says.<br><br><i>Julie Rasicot, a writer and editor in Montgomery County, Maryland, writes regularly for the AARP Bulletin.</i></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-brightcoveplayer data-video-player class="BrightcoveVideoPlayer" data-account="3772599298001" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-video-title="AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud" > <video class="video-js" id="BrightcoveVideoPlayer-6284388591001" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-account="" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-embed="default" controls ></video> </bsp-brightcoveplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>More on fraud</b><br></p><ul><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/top-scammer-list.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">6 Top Scams to Watch Out for in 2024</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2023/build-better-passwords.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">5 Ways to Build Better Passwords</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/protecting-yourself-from-criminals.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">13 Ways to Protect Yourself from Fraud</a></span></span></li></ul></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP California. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank">AARP California</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/sacramento-ca/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html): failed to open stream: No such file or directory [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . 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Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? 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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 03/31/24 by <b>Julie Rasicot</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p>San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder fraud.<br><br>“I’m seeing them and hearing them as I fall asleep at night,” he says. “The fact that we have to tell them that there’s nothing that can be done to get their money back or to hold the people accountable. ... That’s what drives me.”<br><br>As head of the county district attorney office’s long-standing Elder Abuse Unit, Pirrello prosecutes crimes affecting older people. Four years ago, his unit began targeting <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.sdcda.org/helping/financial-elder-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">elder financial scams</a></span></span> — everything from grandparent scams to cryptocurrency fraud — after discovering local police departments weren’t able to investigate these cases even when victims reported they had experienced fraud.<br><br>“They’re being told there’s nothing that can be done, and so these cases are not making it to prosecutors’ offices,” Pirrello says.<br><br>Nationwide, such crimes have skyrocketed, as crooks’ technological sophistication has grown.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="left"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/59/90/904ef2e84299b7754659ee3b7fc8/california-art.png" alt="Graphic by Nicolas Rapp" width="898" height="714" style="height: auto; max-width: 360px;"/> <figcaption class="Figure-caption">Chart by Nicolas Rapp</figcaption> </figure> </div> </div><p>In San Diego Count alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023, according to the FBI. The Federal Trade Commission says losses reported by adults 60 and older totaled at least $1.6 billion in the U.S. in 2022. That figure doesn’t represent “even a drop in the bucket of what’s actually happening” because of underreporting by people who don’t know they’ve been a crime victim or are too embarrassed to report it, says Kathy Stokes, AARP director of <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fraud prevention programs</a></span></span>. In fact, the FTC estimates fraud losses by those 60 and older could have been as high as $48.4 billion in 2022.<br><br>Pirrello and his team are gaining national attention for their efforts, which include helping to develop in 2021 the Elder Justice Task Force, involving the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Adult Protective Services, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other agencies. Pirrello says the task force is on the cutting edge of tracking fraud, in part because it gathers law enforcement data in real time. For example, it trains police officers to get from scam victims actionable information, such as phone numbers and email addresses used by scammers.<br><br><b>A tech-support swindle</b><br><br>The task force’s cases involve many of the most common ones in the scam game.<br><br>In October 2023, the district attorney’s office charged a 22-year-old man from San Gabriel in a tech-support and banking scam that stole more than $200,000 in cash from a 65-year-old woman who was told the move would protect her funds.<br><br>According to the district attorney’s office, the woman’s computer froze and a pop-up message from “Microsoft” provided a phone number to call to fix the problem. It ended with her making several withdrawals of $20,000 to $30,000 after somebody from “Chase Bank” said her account had been compromised. The San Gabriel man was arrested when authorities say he went to the woman’s home to pick up some cash. (Neither Microsoft nor Chase was actually involved.)<br><br>A prosecutor for 18 years, New York native Pirrello worked in real estate and technology before heading at age 25 to the University of San Diego for law school.<br><br>About 15 years ago, he sought the mentorship of Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood, longtime head of the Elder Abuse Unit. Pirrello learned to think outside the box, using such tactics as charging contractors with residential burglary for accepting payment from victims but not performing the contracted work.<br><br>“It’s much more than just a career,” says Greenwood, who retired in 2018 and is an elder abuse consultant for AARP. “… It’s having a desire to seek some kind of accountability and some kind of justice for victims that often believe that nobody is going to pay them any attention.”<br><br>Pirrello and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan say the task force can be a national model for fighting fraud. But the job ahead is massive.<br><br>“We haven’t even scratched the surface of the things that we could be doing to protect our seniors,” Pirrello says.<br><br><i>Julie Rasicot, a writer and editor in Montgomery County, Maryland, writes regularly for the AARP Bulletin.</i></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-brightcoveplayer data-video-player class="BrightcoveVideoPlayer" data-account="3772599298001" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-video-title="AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud" > <video class="video-js" id="BrightcoveVideoPlayer-6284388591001" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-account="" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-embed="default" controls ></video> </bsp-brightcoveplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>More on fraud</b><br></p><ul><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/top-scammer-list.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">6 Top Scams to Watch Out for in 2024</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2023/build-better-passwords.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">5 Ways to Build Better Passwords</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/protecting-yourself-from-criminals.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">13 Ways to Protect Yourself from Fraud</a></span></span></li></ul></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP California. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank">AARP California</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/sacramento-ca/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html): failed to open stream: No such file or directory [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? 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In San Diego County alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023,"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2a4e55f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/972x625+69+0/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2F05%2Fb5%2F11168bd4577ddb3897ba9c9ea598%2Fscam-jam.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Fraud against older adults has skyrocketed in recent years. In San Diego County alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023,"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2a4e55f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/972x625+69+0/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2F05%2Fb5%2F11168bd4577ddb3897ba9c9ea598%2Fscam-jam.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }', 'title_for_layout' => '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 03/31/24 by <b>Julie Rasicot</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p>San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder fraud.<br><br>“I’m seeing them and hearing them as I fall asleep at night,” he says. “The fact that we have to tell them that there’s nothing that can be done to get their money back or to hold the people accountable. ... That’s what drives me.”<br><br>As head of the county district attorney office’s long-standing Elder Abuse Unit, Pirrello prosecutes crimes affecting older people. Four years ago, his unit began targeting <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.sdcda.org/helping/financial-elder-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">elder financial scams</a></span></span> — everything from grandparent scams to cryptocurrency fraud — after discovering local police departments weren’t able to investigate these cases even when victims reported they had experienced fraud.<br><br>“They’re being told there’s nothing that can be done, and so these cases are not making it to prosecutors’ offices,” Pirrello says.<br><br>Nationwide, such crimes have skyrocketed, as crooks’ technological sophistication has grown.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="left"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/59/90/904ef2e84299b7754659ee3b7fc8/california-art.png" alt="Graphic by Nicolas Rapp" width="898" height="714" style="height: auto; max-width: 360px;"/> <figcaption class="Figure-caption">Chart by Nicolas Rapp</figcaption> </figure> </div> </div><p>In San Diego Count alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023, according to the FBI. The Federal Trade Commission says losses reported by adults 60 and older totaled at least $1.6 billion in the U.S. in 2022. That figure doesn’t represent “even a drop in the bucket of what’s actually happening” because of underreporting by people who don’t know they’ve been a crime victim or are too embarrassed to report it, says Kathy Stokes, AARP director of <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fraud prevention programs</a></span></span>. In fact, the FTC estimates fraud losses by those 60 and older could have been as high as $48.4 billion in 2022.<br><br>Pirrello and his team are gaining national attention for their efforts, which include helping to develop in 2021 the Elder Justice Task Force, involving the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Adult Protective Services, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other agencies. Pirrello says the task force is on the cutting edge of tracking fraud, in part because it gathers law enforcement data in real time. For example, it trains police officers to get from scam victims actionable information, such as phone numbers and email addresses used by scammers.<br><br><b>A tech-support swindle</b><br><br>The task force’s cases involve many of the most common ones in the scam game.<br><br>In October 2023, the district attorney’s office charged a 22-year-old man from San Gabriel in a tech-support and banking scam that stole more than $200,000 in cash from a 65-year-old woman who was told the move would protect her funds.<br><br>According to the district attorney’s office, the woman’s computer froze and a pop-up message from “Microsoft” provided a phone number to call to fix the problem. It ended with her making several withdrawals of $20,000 to $30,000 after somebody from “Chase Bank” said her account had been compromised. The San Gabriel man was arrested when authorities say he went to the woman’s home to pick up some cash. (Neither Microsoft nor Chase was actually involved.)<br><br>A prosecutor for 18 years, New York native Pirrello worked in real estate and technology before heading at age 25 to the University of San Diego for law school.<br><br>About 15 years ago, he sought the mentorship of Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood, longtime head of the Elder Abuse Unit. Pirrello learned to think outside the box, using such tactics as charging contractors with residential burglary for accepting payment from victims but not performing the contracted work.<br><br>“It’s much more than just a career,” says Greenwood, who retired in 2018 and is an elder abuse consultant for AARP. “… It’s having a desire to seek some kind of accountability and some kind of justice for victims that often believe that nobody is going to pay them any attention.”<br><br>Pirrello and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan say the task force can be a national model for fighting fraud. But the job ahead is massive.<br><br>“We haven’t even scratched the surface of the things that we could be doing to protect our seniors,” Pirrello says.<br><br><i>Julie Rasicot, a writer and editor in Montgomery County, Maryland, writes regularly for the AARP Bulletin.</i></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-brightcoveplayer data-video-player class="BrightcoveVideoPlayer" data-account="3772599298001" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-video-title="AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud" > <video class="video-js" id="BrightcoveVideoPlayer-6284388591001" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-account="" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-embed="default" controls ></video> </bsp-brightcoveplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>More on fraud</b><br></p><ul><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/top-scammer-list.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">6 Top Scams to Watch Out for in 2024</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2023/build-better-passwords.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">5 Ways to Build Better Passwords</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/protecting-yourself-from-criminals.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">13 Ways to Protect Yourself from Fraud</a></span></span></li></ul></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP California. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank">AARP California</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/sacramento-ca/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html): failed to open stream: No such file or directory [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? 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include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");
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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 03/31/24 by <b>Julie Rasicot</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p>San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder fraud.<br><br>“I’m seeing them and hearing them as I fall asleep at night,” he says. “The fact that we have to tell them that there’s nothing that can be done to get their money back or to hold the people accountable. ... That’s what drives me.”<br><br>As head of the county district attorney office’s long-standing Elder Abuse Unit, Pirrello prosecutes crimes affecting older people. Four years ago, his unit began targeting <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.sdcda.org/helping/financial-elder-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">elder financial scams</a></span></span> — everything from grandparent scams to cryptocurrency fraud — after discovering local police departments weren’t able to investigate these cases even when victims reported they had experienced fraud.<br><br>“They’re being told there’s nothing that can be done, and so these cases are not making it to prosecutors’ offices,” Pirrello says.<br><br>Nationwide, such crimes have skyrocketed, as crooks’ technological sophistication has grown.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="left"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/59/90/904ef2e84299b7754659ee3b7fc8/california-art.png" alt="Graphic by Nicolas Rapp" width="898" height="714" style="height: auto; max-width: 360px;"/> <figcaption class="Figure-caption">Chart by Nicolas Rapp</figcaption> </figure> </div> </div><p>In San Diego Count alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023, according to the FBI. The Federal Trade Commission says losses reported by adults 60 and older totaled at least $1.6 billion in the U.S. in 2022. That figure doesn’t represent “even a drop in the bucket of what’s actually happening” because of underreporting by people who don’t know they’ve been a crime victim or are too embarrassed to report it, says Kathy Stokes, AARP director of <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fraud prevention programs</a></span></span>. In fact, the FTC estimates fraud losses by those 60 and older could have been as high as $48.4 billion in 2022.<br><br>Pirrello and his team are gaining national attention for their efforts, which include helping to develop in 2021 the Elder Justice Task Force, involving the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Adult Protective Services, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other agencies. Pirrello says the task force is on the cutting edge of tracking fraud, in part because it gathers law enforcement data in real time. For example, it trains police officers to get from scam victims actionable information, such as phone numbers and email addresses used by scammers.<br><br><b>A tech-support swindle</b><br><br>The task force’s cases involve many of the most common ones in the scam game.<br><br>In October 2023, the district attorney’s office charged a 22-year-old man from San Gabriel in a tech-support and banking scam that stole more than $200,000 in cash from a 65-year-old woman who was told the move would protect her funds.<br><br>According to the district attorney’s office, the woman’s computer froze and a pop-up message from “Microsoft” provided a phone number to call to fix the problem. It ended with her making several withdrawals of $20,000 to $30,000 after somebody from “Chase Bank” said her account had been compromised. The San Gabriel man was arrested when authorities say he went to the woman’s home to pick up some cash. (Neither Microsoft nor Chase was actually involved.)<br><br>A prosecutor for 18 years, New York native Pirrello worked in real estate and technology before heading at age 25 to the University of San Diego for law school.<br><br>About 15 years ago, he sought the mentorship of Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood, longtime head of the Elder Abuse Unit. Pirrello learned to think outside the box, using such tactics as charging contractors with residential burglary for accepting payment from victims but not performing the contracted work.<br><br>“It’s much more than just a career,” says Greenwood, who retired in 2018 and is an elder abuse consultant for AARP. “… It’s having a desire to seek some kind of accountability and some kind of justice for victims that often believe that nobody is going to pay them any attention.”<br><br>Pirrello and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan say the task force can be a national model for fighting fraud. But the job ahead is massive.<br><br>“We haven’t even scratched the surface of the things that we could be doing to protect our seniors,” Pirrello says.<br><br><i>Julie Rasicot, a writer and editor in Montgomery County, Maryland, writes regularly for the AARP Bulletin.</i></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-brightcoveplayer data-video-player class="BrightcoveVideoPlayer" data-account="3772599298001" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-video-title="AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud" > <video class="video-js" id="BrightcoveVideoPlayer-6284388591001" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-account="" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-embed="default" controls ></video> </bsp-brightcoveplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>More on fraud</b><br></p><ul><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/top-scammer-list.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">6 Top Scams to Watch Out for in 2024</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2023/build-better-passwords.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">5 Ways to Build Better Passwords</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/protecting-yourself-from-criminals.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">13 Ways to Protect Yourself from Fraud</a></span></span></li></ul></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP California. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank">AARP California</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/sacramento-ca/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html): failed to open stream: No such file or directory [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP California Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP California Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP <br />in Sacramento</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:CAaarp@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">CAaarp@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP California</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-california/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-SACRAMENTO-CA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png" alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPCA" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png" alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarpca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</title> <meta name="page_title" content="California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder" name="description"/> <meta content="California, As, Scam, Artists, Adapt, So, Does, Local, DA" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://states.aarp.org/california/california-as-scam-artists-adapt-so-does-local-da" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/news/california-as-scam-artists-adapt-so-does-local-da-ca-2024-03-31.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Fraud against older adults has skyrocketed in recent years. In San Diego County alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023,"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2a4e55f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/972x625+69+0/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2F05%2Fb5%2F11168bd4577ddb3897ba9c9ea598%2Fscam-jam.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Fraud against older adults has skyrocketed in recent years. In San Diego County alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023,"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2a4e55f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/972x625+69+0/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2F05%2Fb5%2F11168bd4577ddb3897ba9c9ea598%2Fscam-jam.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }', 'title_for_layout' => '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 03/31/24 by <b>Julie Rasicot</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p>San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder fraud.<br><br>“I’m seeing them and hearing them as I fall asleep at night,” he says. “The fact that we have to tell them that there’s nothing that can be done to get their money back or to hold the people accountable. ... That’s what drives me.”<br><br>As head of the county district attorney office’s long-standing Elder Abuse Unit, Pirrello prosecutes crimes affecting older people. Four years ago, his unit began targeting <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.sdcda.org/helping/financial-elder-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">elder financial scams</a></span></span> — everything from grandparent scams to cryptocurrency fraud — after discovering local police departments weren’t able to investigate these cases even when victims reported they had experienced fraud.<br><br>“They’re being told there’s nothing that can be done, and so these cases are not making it to prosecutors’ offices,” Pirrello says.<br><br>Nationwide, such crimes have skyrocketed, as crooks’ technological sophistication has grown.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="left"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/59/90/904ef2e84299b7754659ee3b7fc8/california-art.png" alt="Graphic by Nicolas Rapp" width="898" height="714" style="height: auto; max-width: 360px;"/> <figcaption class="Figure-caption">Chart by Nicolas Rapp</figcaption> </figure> </div> </div><p>In San Diego Count alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023, according to the FBI. The Federal Trade Commission says losses reported by adults 60 and older totaled at least $1.6 billion in the U.S. in 2022. That figure doesn’t represent “even a drop in the bucket of what’s actually happening” because of underreporting by people who don’t know they’ve been a crime victim or are too embarrassed to report it, says Kathy Stokes, AARP director of <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fraud prevention programs</a></span></span>. In fact, the FTC estimates fraud losses by those 60 and older could have been as high as $48.4 billion in 2022.<br><br>Pirrello and his team are gaining national attention for their efforts, which include helping to develop in 2021 the Elder Justice Task Force, involving the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Adult Protective Services, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other agencies. Pirrello says the task force is on the cutting edge of tracking fraud, in part because it gathers law enforcement data in real time. For example, it trains police officers to get from scam victims actionable information, such as phone numbers and email addresses used by scammers.<br><br><b>A tech-support swindle</b><br><br>The task force’s cases involve many of the most common ones in the scam game.<br><br>In October 2023, the district attorney’s office charged a 22-year-old man from San Gabriel in a tech-support and banking scam that stole more than $200,000 in cash from a 65-year-old woman who was told the move would protect her funds.<br><br>According to the district attorney’s office, the woman’s computer froze and a pop-up message from “Microsoft” provided a phone number to call to fix the problem. It ended with her making several withdrawals of $20,000 to $30,000 after somebody from “Chase Bank” said her account had been compromised. The San Gabriel man was arrested when authorities say he went to the woman’s home to pick up some cash. (Neither Microsoft nor Chase was actually involved.)<br><br>A prosecutor for 18 years, New York native Pirrello worked in real estate and technology before heading at age 25 to the University of San Diego for law school.<br><br>About 15 years ago, he sought the mentorship of Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood, longtime head of the Elder Abuse Unit. Pirrello learned to think outside the box, using such tactics as charging contractors with residential burglary for accepting payment from victims but not performing the contracted work.<br><br>“It’s much more than just a career,” says Greenwood, who retired in 2018 and is an elder abuse consultant for AARP. “… It’s having a desire to seek some kind of accountability and some kind of justice for victims that often believe that nobody is going to pay them any attention.”<br><br>Pirrello and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan say the task force can be a national model for fighting fraud. But the job ahead is massive.<br><br>“We haven’t even scratched the surface of the things that we could be doing to protect our seniors,” Pirrello says.<br><br><i>Julie Rasicot, a writer and editor in Montgomery County, Maryland, writes regularly for the AARP Bulletin.</i></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-brightcoveplayer data-video-player class="BrightcoveVideoPlayer" data-account="3772599298001" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-video-title="AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud" > <video class="video-js" id="BrightcoveVideoPlayer-6284388591001" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-account="" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-embed="default" controls ></video> </bsp-brightcoveplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>More on fraud</b><br></p><ul><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/top-scammer-list.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">6 Top Scams to Watch Out for in 2024</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2023/build-better-passwords.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">5 Ways to Build Better Passwords</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/protecting-yourself-from-criminals.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">13 Ways to Protect Yourself from Fraud</a></span></span></li></ul></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP California. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank">AARP California</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/sacramento-ca/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html): failed to open stream: No such file or directory [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . 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Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? 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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 03/31/24 by <b>Julie Rasicot</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p>San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder fraud.<br><br>“I’m seeing them and hearing them as I fall asleep at night,” he says. “The fact that we have to tell them that there’s nothing that can be done to get their money back or to hold the people accountable. ... That’s what drives me.”<br><br>As head of the county district attorney office’s long-standing Elder Abuse Unit, Pirrello prosecutes crimes affecting older people. Four years ago, his unit began targeting <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.sdcda.org/helping/financial-elder-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">elder financial scams</a></span></span> — everything from grandparent scams to cryptocurrency fraud — after discovering local police departments weren’t able to investigate these cases even when victims reported they had experienced fraud.<br><br>“They’re being told there’s nothing that can be done, and so these cases are not making it to prosecutors’ offices,” Pirrello says.<br><br>Nationwide, such crimes have skyrocketed, as crooks’ technological sophistication has grown.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="left"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/59/90/904ef2e84299b7754659ee3b7fc8/california-art.png" alt="Graphic by Nicolas Rapp" width="898" height="714" style="height: auto; max-width: 360px;"/> <figcaption class="Figure-caption">Chart by Nicolas Rapp</figcaption> </figure> </div> </div><p>In San Diego Count alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023, according to the FBI. The Federal Trade Commission says losses reported by adults 60 and older totaled at least $1.6 billion in the U.S. in 2022. That figure doesn’t represent “even a drop in the bucket of what’s actually happening” because of underreporting by people who don’t know they’ve been a crime victim or are too embarrassed to report it, says Kathy Stokes, AARP director of <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fraud prevention programs</a></span></span>. In fact, the FTC estimates fraud losses by those 60 and older could have been as high as $48.4 billion in 2022.<br><br>Pirrello and his team are gaining national attention for their efforts, which include helping to develop in 2021 the Elder Justice Task Force, involving the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Adult Protective Services, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other agencies. Pirrello says the task force is on the cutting edge of tracking fraud, in part because it gathers law enforcement data in real time. For example, it trains police officers to get from scam victims actionable information, such as phone numbers and email addresses used by scammers.<br><br><b>A tech-support swindle</b><br><br>The task force’s cases involve many of the most common ones in the scam game.<br><br>In October 2023, the district attorney’s office charged a 22-year-old man from San Gabriel in a tech-support and banking scam that stole more than $200,000 in cash from a 65-year-old woman who was told the move would protect her funds.<br><br>According to the district attorney’s office, the woman’s computer froze and a pop-up message from “Microsoft” provided a phone number to call to fix the problem. It ended with her making several withdrawals of $20,000 to $30,000 after somebody from “Chase Bank” said her account had been compromised. The San Gabriel man was arrested when authorities say he went to the woman’s home to pick up some cash. (Neither Microsoft nor Chase was actually involved.)<br><br>A prosecutor for 18 years, New York native Pirrello worked in real estate and technology before heading at age 25 to the University of San Diego for law school.<br><br>About 15 years ago, he sought the mentorship of Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood, longtime head of the Elder Abuse Unit. Pirrello learned to think outside the box, using such tactics as charging contractors with residential burglary for accepting payment from victims but not performing the contracted work.<br><br>“It’s much more than just a career,” says Greenwood, who retired in 2018 and is an elder abuse consultant for AARP. “… It’s having a desire to seek some kind of accountability and some kind of justice for victims that often believe that nobody is going to pay them any attention.”<br><br>Pirrello and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan say the task force can be a national model for fighting fraud. But the job ahead is massive.<br><br>“We haven’t even scratched the surface of the things that we could be doing to protect our seniors,” Pirrello says.<br><br><i>Julie Rasicot, a writer and editor in Montgomery County, Maryland, writes regularly for the AARP Bulletin.</i></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-brightcoveplayer data-video-player class="BrightcoveVideoPlayer" data-account="3772599298001" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-video-title="AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud" > <video class="video-js" id="BrightcoveVideoPlayer-6284388591001" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-account="" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-embed="default" controls ></video> </bsp-brightcoveplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>More on fraud</b><br></p><ul><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/top-scammer-list.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">6 Top Scams to Watch Out for in 2024</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2023/build-better-passwords.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">5 Ways to Build Better Passwords</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/protecting-yourself-from-criminals.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">13 Ways to Protect Yourself from Fraud</a></span></span></li></ul></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP California. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank">AARP California</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/sacramento-ca/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html): failed to open stream: No such file or directory [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? 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In San Diego County alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023,"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2a4e55f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/972x625+69+0/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2F05%2Fb5%2F11168bd4577ddb3897ba9c9ea598%2Fscam-jam.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Fraud against older adults has skyrocketed in recent years. In San Diego County alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023,"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2a4e55f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/972x625+69+0/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2F05%2Fb5%2F11168bd4577ddb3897ba9c9ea598%2Fscam-jam.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }', 'title_for_layout' => '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 03/31/24 by <b>Julie Rasicot</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p>San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder fraud.<br><br>“I’m seeing them and hearing them as I fall asleep at night,” he says. “The fact that we have to tell them that there’s nothing that can be done to get their money back or to hold the people accountable. ... That’s what drives me.”<br><br>As head of the county district attorney office’s long-standing Elder Abuse Unit, Pirrello prosecutes crimes affecting older people. Four years ago, his unit began targeting <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.sdcda.org/helping/financial-elder-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">elder financial scams</a></span></span> — everything from grandparent scams to cryptocurrency fraud — after discovering local police departments weren’t able to investigate these cases even when victims reported they had experienced fraud.<br><br>“They’re being told there’s nothing that can be done, and so these cases are not making it to prosecutors’ offices,” Pirrello says.<br><br>Nationwide, such crimes have skyrocketed, as crooks’ technological sophistication has grown.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="left"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/59/90/904ef2e84299b7754659ee3b7fc8/california-art.png" alt="Graphic by Nicolas Rapp" width="898" height="714" style="height: auto; max-width: 360px;"/> <figcaption class="Figure-caption">Chart by Nicolas Rapp</figcaption> </figure> </div> </div><p>In San Diego Count alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023, according to the FBI. The Federal Trade Commission says losses reported by adults 60 and older totaled at least $1.6 billion in the U.S. in 2022. That figure doesn’t represent “even a drop in the bucket of what’s actually happening” because of underreporting by people who don’t know they’ve been a crime victim or are too embarrassed to report it, says Kathy Stokes, AARP director of <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fraud prevention programs</a></span></span>. In fact, the FTC estimates fraud losses by those 60 and older could have been as high as $48.4 billion in 2022.<br><br>Pirrello and his team are gaining national attention for their efforts, which include helping to develop in 2021 the Elder Justice Task Force, involving the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Adult Protective Services, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other agencies. Pirrello says the task force is on the cutting edge of tracking fraud, in part because it gathers law enforcement data in real time. For example, it trains police officers to get from scam victims actionable information, such as phone numbers and email addresses used by scammers.<br><br><b>A tech-support swindle</b><br><br>The task force’s cases involve many of the most common ones in the scam game.<br><br>In October 2023, the district attorney’s office charged a 22-year-old man from San Gabriel in a tech-support and banking scam that stole more than $200,000 in cash from a 65-year-old woman who was told the move would protect her funds.<br><br>According to the district attorney’s office, the woman’s computer froze and a pop-up message from “Microsoft” provided a phone number to call to fix the problem. It ended with her making several withdrawals of $20,000 to $30,000 after somebody from “Chase Bank” said her account had been compromised. The San Gabriel man was arrested when authorities say he went to the woman’s home to pick up some cash. (Neither Microsoft nor Chase was actually involved.)<br><br>A prosecutor for 18 years, New York native Pirrello worked in real estate and technology before heading at age 25 to the University of San Diego for law school.<br><br>About 15 years ago, he sought the mentorship of Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood, longtime head of the Elder Abuse Unit. Pirrello learned to think outside the box, using such tactics as charging contractors with residential burglary for accepting payment from victims but not performing the contracted work.<br><br>“It’s much more than just a career,” says Greenwood, who retired in 2018 and is an elder abuse consultant for AARP. “… It’s having a desire to seek some kind of accountability and some kind of justice for victims that often believe that nobody is going to pay them any attention.”<br><br>Pirrello and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan say the task force can be a national model for fighting fraud. But the job ahead is massive.<br><br>“We haven’t even scratched the surface of the things that we could be doing to protect our seniors,” Pirrello says.<br><br><i>Julie Rasicot, a writer and editor in Montgomery County, Maryland, writes regularly for the AARP Bulletin.</i></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-brightcoveplayer data-video-player class="BrightcoveVideoPlayer" data-account="3772599298001" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-video-title="AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud" > <video class="video-js" id="BrightcoveVideoPlayer-6284388591001" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-account="" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-embed="default" controls ></video> </bsp-brightcoveplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>More on fraud</b><br></p><ul><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/top-scammer-list.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">6 Top Scams to Watch Out for in 2024</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2023/build-better-passwords.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">5 Ways to Build Better Passwords</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/protecting-yourself-from-criminals.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">13 Ways to Protect Yourself from Fraud</a></span></span></li></ul></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP California. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank">AARP California</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/sacramento-ca/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html): failed to open stream: No such file or directory [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? 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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 03/31/24 by <b>Julie Rasicot</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p>San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder fraud.<br><br>“I’m seeing them and hearing them as I fall asleep at night,” he says. “The fact that we have to tell them that there’s nothing that can be done to get their money back or to hold the people accountable. ... That’s what drives me.”<br><br>As head of the county district attorney office’s long-standing Elder Abuse Unit, Pirrello prosecutes crimes affecting older people. Four years ago, his unit began targeting <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.sdcda.org/helping/financial-elder-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">elder financial scams</a></span></span> — everything from grandparent scams to cryptocurrency fraud — after discovering local police departments weren’t able to investigate these cases even when victims reported they had experienced fraud.<br><br>“They’re being told there’s nothing that can be done, and so these cases are not making it to prosecutors’ offices,” Pirrello says.<br><br>Nationwide, such crimes have skyrocketed, as crooks’ technological sophistication has grown.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="left"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/59/90/904ef2e84299b7754659ee3b7fc8/california-art.png" alt="Graphic by Nicolas Rapp" width="898" height="714" style="height: auto; max-width: 360px;"/> <figcaption class="Figure-caption">Chart by Nicolas Rapp</figcaption> </figure> </div> </div><p>In San Diego Count alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023, according to the FBI. The Federal Trade Commission says losses reported by adults 60 and older totaled at least $1.6 billion in the U.S. in 2022. That figure doesn’t represent “even a drop in the bucket of what’s actually happening” because of underreporting by people who don’t know they’ve been a crime victim or are too embarrassed to report it, says Kathy Stokes, AARP director of <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fraud prevention programs</a></span></span>. In fact, the FTC estimates fraud losses by those 60 and older could have been as high as $48.4 billion in 2022.<br><br>Pirrello and his team are gaining national attention for their efforts, which include helping to develop in 2021 the Elder Justice Task Force, involving the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Adult Protective Services, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other agencies. Pirrello says the task force is on the cutting edge of tracking fraud, in part because it gathers law enforcement data in real time. For example, it trains police officers to get from scam victims actionable information, such as phone numbers and email addresses used by scammers.<br><br><b>A tech-support swindle</b><br><br>The task force’s cases involve many of the most common ones in the scam game.<br><br>In October 2023, the district attorney’s office charged a 22-year-old man from San Gabriel in a tech-support and banking scam that stole more than $200,000 in cash from a 65-year-old woman who was told the move would protect her funds.<br><br>According to the district attorney’s office, the woman’s computer froze and a pop-up message from “Microsoft” provided a phone number to call to fix the problem. It ended with her making several withdrawals of $20,000 to $30,000 after somebody from “Chase Bank” said her account had been compromised. The San Gabriel man was arrested when authorities say he went to the woman’s home to pick up some cash. (Neither Microsoft nor Chase was actually involved.)<br><br>A prosecutor for 18 years, New York native Pirrello worked in real estate and technology before heading at age 25 to the University of San Diego for law school.<br><br>About 15 years ago, he sought the mentorship of Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood, longtime head of the Elder Abuse Unit. Pirrello learned to think outside the box, using such tactics as charging contractors with residential burglary for accepting payment from victims but not performing the contracted work.<br><br>“It’s much more than just a career,” says Greenwood, who retired in 2018 and is an elder abuse consultant for AARP. “… It’s having a desire to seek some kind of accountability and some kind of justice for victims that often believe that nobody is going to pay them any attention.”<br><br>Pirrello and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan say the task force can be a national model for fighting fraud. But the job ahead is massive.<br><br>“We haven’t even scratched the surface of the things that we could be doing to protect our seniors,” Pirrello says.<br><br><i>Julie Rasicot, a writer and editor in Montgomery County, Maryland, writes regularly for the AARP Bulletin.</i></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-brightcoveplayer data-video-player class="BrightcoveVideoPlayer" data-account="3772599298001" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-video-title="AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud" > <video class="video-js" id="BrightcoveVideoPlayer-6284388591001" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-account="" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-embed="default" controls ></video> </bsp-brightcoveplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>More on fraud</b><br></p><ul><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/top-scammer-list.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">6 Top Scams to Watch Out for in 2024</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2023/build-better-passwords.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">5 Ways to Build Better Passwords</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/protecting-yourself-from-criminals.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">13 Ways to Protect Yourself from Fraud</a></span></span></li></ul></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP California. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank">AARP California</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/sacramento-ca/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html): failed to open stream: No such file or directory [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP California Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP California Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP <br />in Sacramento</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:CAaarp@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">CAaarp@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP California</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-california/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-SACRAMENTO-CA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aarpcalifornia" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png" alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPCA" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png" alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarpca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</title> <meta name="page_title" content="California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder" name="description"/> <meta content="California, As, Scam, Artists, Adapt, So, Does, Local, DA" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://states.aarp.org/california/california-as-scam-artists-adapt-so-does-local-da" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/news/california-as-scam-artists-adapt-so-does-local-da-ca-2024-03-31.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Fraud against older adults has skyrocketed in recent years. In San Diego County alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023,"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2a4e55f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/972x625+69+0/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2F05%2Fb5%2F11168bd4577ddb3897ba9c9ea598%2Fscam-jam.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Fraud against older adults has skyrocketed in recent years. In San Diego County alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023,"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2a4e55f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/972x625+69+0/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2F05%2Fb5%2F11168bd4577ddb3897ba9c9ea598%2Fscam-jam.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }', 'title_for_layout' => '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 03/31/24 by <b>Julie Rasicot</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p>San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder fraud.<br><br>“I’m seeing them and hearing them as I fall asleep at night,” he says. “The fact that we have to tell them that there’s nothing that can be done to get their money back or to hold the people accountable. ... That’s what drives me.”<br><br>As head of the county district attorney office’s long-standing Elder Abuse Unit, Pirrello prosecutes crimes affecting older people. Four years ago, his unit began targeting <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.sdcda.org/helping/financial-elder-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">elder financial scams</a></span></span> — everything from grandparent scams to cryptocurrency fraud — after discovering local police departments weren’t able to investigate these cases even when victims reported they had experienced fraud.<br><br>“They’re being told there’s nothing that can be done, and so these cases are not making it to prosecutors’ offices,” Pirrello says.<br><br>Nationwide, such crimes have skyrocketed, as crooks’ technological sophistication has grown.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="left"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/59/90/904ef2e84299b7754659ee3b7fc8/california-art.png" alt="Graphic by Nicolas Rapp" width="898" height="714" style="height: auto; max-width: 360px;"/> <figcaption class="Figure-caption">Chart by Nicolas Rapp</figcaption> </figure> </div> </div><p>In San Diego Count alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023, according to the FBI. The Federal Trade Commission says losses reported by adults 60 and older totaled at least $1.6 billion in the U.S. in 2022. That figure doesn’t represent “even a drop in the bucket of what’s actually happening” because of underreporting by people who don’t know they’ve been a crime victim or are too embarrassed to report it, says Kathy Stokes, AARP director of <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fraud prevention programs</a></span></span>. In fact, the FTC estimates fraud losses by those 60 and older could have been as high as $48.4 billion in 2022.<br><br>Pirrello and his team are gaining national attention for their efforts, which include helping to develop in 2021 the Elder Justice Task Force, involving the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Adult Protective Services, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other agencies. Pirrello says the task force is on the cutting edge of tracking fraud, in part because it gathers law enforcement data in real time. For example, it trains police officers to get from scam victims actionable information, such as phone numbers and email addresses used by scammers.<br><br><b>A tech-support swindle</b><br><br>The task force’s cases involve many of the most common ones in the scam game.<br><br>In October 2023, the district attorney’s office charged a 22-year-old man from San Gabriel in a tech-support and banking scam that stole more than $200,000 in cash from a 65-year-old woman who was told the move would protect her funds.<br><br>According to the district attorney’s office, the woman’s computer froze and a pop-up message from “Microsoft” provided a phone number to call to fix the problem. It ended with her making several withdrawals of $20,000 to $30,000 after somebody from “Chase Bank” said her account had been compromised. The San Gabriel man was arrested when authorities say he went to the woman’s home to pick up some cash. (Neither Microsoft nor Chase was actually involved.)<br><br>A prosecutor for 18 years, New York native Pirrello worked in real estate and technology before heading at age 25 to the University of San Diego for law school.<br><br>About 15 years ago, he sought the mentorship of Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood, longtime head of the Elder Abuse Unit. Pirrello learned to think outside the box, using such tactics as charging contractors with residential burglary for accepting payment from victims but not performing the contracted work.<br><br>“It’s much more than just a career,” says Greenwood, who retired in 2018 and is an elder abuse consultant for AARP. “… It’s having a desire to seek some kind of accountability and some kind of justice for victims that often believe that nobody is going to pay them any attention.”<br><br>Pirrello and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan say the task force can be a national model for fighting fraud. But the job ahead is massive.<br><br>“We haven’t even scratched the surface of the things that we could be doing to protect our seniors,” Pirrello says.<br><br><i>Julie Rasicot, a writer and editor in Montgomery County, Maryland, writes regularly for the AARP Bulletin.</i></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-brightcoveplayer data-video-player class="BrightcoveVideoPlayer" data-account="3772599298001" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-video-title="AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud" > <video class="video-js" id="BrightcoveVideoPlayer-6284388591001" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-account="" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-embed="default" controls ></video> </bsp-brightcoveplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>More on fraud</b><br></p><ul><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/top-scammer-list.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">6 Top Scams to Watch Out for in 2024</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2023/build-better-passwords.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">5 Ways to Build Better Passwords</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/protecting-yourself-from-criminals.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">13 Ways to Protect Yourself from Fraud</a></span></span></li></ul></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP California. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank">AARP California</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/sacramento-ca/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html): failed to open stream: No such file or directory [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . 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Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? 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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 03/31/24 by <b>Julie Rasicot</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p>San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder fraud.<br><br>“I’m seeing them and hearing them as I fall asleep at night,” he says. “The fact that we have to tell them that there’s nothing that can be done to get their money back or to hold the people accountable. ... That’s what drives me.”<br><br>As head of the county district attorney office’s long-standing Elder Abuse Unit, Pirrello prosecutes crimes affecting older people. Four years ago, his unit began targeting <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.sdcda.org/helping/financial-elder-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">elder financial scams</a></span></span> — everything from grandparent scams to cryptocurrency fraud — after discovering local police departments weren’t able to investigate these cases even when victims reported they had experienced fraud.<br><br>“They’re being told there’s nothing that can be done, and so these cases are not making it to prosecutors’ offices,” Pirrello says.<br><br>Nationwide, such crimes have skyrocketed, as crooks’ technological sophistication has grown.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="left"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/59/90/904ef2e84299b7754659ee3b7fc8/california-art.png" alt="Graphic by Nicolas Rapp" width="898" height="714" style="height: auto; max-width: 360px;"/> <figcaption class="Figure-caption">Chart by Nicolas Rapp</figcaption> </figure> </div> </div><p>In San Diego Count alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023, according to the FBI. The Federal Trade Commission says losses reported by adults 60 and older totaled at least $1.6 billion in the U.S. in 2022. That figure doesn’t represent “even a drop in the bucket of what’s actually happening” because of underreporting by people who don’t know they’ve been a crime victim or are too embarrassed to report it, says Kathy Stokes, AARP director of <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fraud prevention programs</a></span></span>. In fact, the FTC estimates fraud losses by those 60 and older could have been as high as $48.4 billion in 2022.<br><br>Pirrello and his team are gaining national attention for their efforts, which include helping to develop in 2021 the Elder Justice Task Force, involving the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Adult Protective Services, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other agencies. Pirrello says the task force is on the cutting edge of tracking fraud, in part because it gathers law enforcement data in real time. For example, it trains police officers to get from scam victims actionable information, such as phone numbers and email addresses used by scammers.<br><br><b>A tech-support swindle</b><br><br>The task force’s cases involve many of the most common ones in the scam game.<br><br>In October 2023, the district attorney’s office charged a 22-year-old man from San Gabriel in a tech-support and banking scam that stole more than $200,000 in cash from a 65-year-old woman who was told the move would protect her funds.<br><br>According to the district attorney’s office, the woman’s computer froze and a pop-up message from “Microsoft” provided a phone number to call to fix the problem. It ended with her making several withdrawals of $20,000 to $30,000 after somebody from “Chase Bank” said her account had been compromised. The San Gabriel man was arrested when authorities say he went to the woman’s home to pick up some cash. (Neither Microsoft nor Chase was actually involved.)<br><br>A prosecutor for 18 years, New York native Pirrello worked in real estate and technology before heading at age 25 to the University of San Diego for law school.<br><br>About 15 years ago, he sought the mentorship of Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood, longtime head of the Elder Abuse Unit. Pirrello learned to think outside the box, using such tactics as charging contractors with residential burglary for accepting payment from victims but not performing the contracted work.<br><br>“It’s much more than just a career,” says Greenwood, who retired in 2018 and is an elder abuse consultant for AARP. “… It’s having a desire to seek some kind of accountability and some kind of justice for victims that often believe that nobody is going to pay them any attention.”<br><br>Pirrello and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan say the task force can be a national model for fighting fraud. But the job ahead is massive.<br><br>“We haven’t even scratched the surface of the things that we could be doing to protect our seniors,” Pirrello says.<br><br><i>Julie Rasicot, a writer and editor in Montgomery County, Maryland, writes regularly for the AARP Bulletin.</i></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-brightcoveplayer data-video-player class="BrightcoveVideoPlayer" data-account="3772599298001" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-video-title="AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud" > <video class="video-js" id="BrightcoveVideoPlayer-6284388591001" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-account="" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-embed="default" controls ></video> </bsp-brightcoveplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>More on fraud</b><br></p><ul><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/top-scammer-list.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">6 Top Scams to Watch Out for in 2024</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2023/build-better-passwords.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">5 Ways to Build Better Passwords</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/protecting-yourself-from-criminals.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">13 Ways to Protect Yourself from Fraud</a></span></span></li></ul></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP California. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank">AARP California</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/sacramento-ca/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html): failed to open stream: No such file or directory [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? 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In San Diego County alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023,"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2a4e55f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/972x625+69+0/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2F05%2Fb5%2F11168bd4577ddb3897ba9c9ea598%2Fscam-jam.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Fraud against older adults has skyrocketed in recent years. In San Diego County alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023,"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2a4e55f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/972x625+69+0/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2F05%2Fb5%2F11168bd4577ddb3897ba9c9ea598%2Fscam-jam.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }', 'title_for_layout' => '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 03/31/24 by <b>Julie Rasicot</b> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p>San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello can’t stop thinking about the people he’s met whose lives have been devastated by elder fraud.<br><br>“I’m seeing them and hearing them as I fall asleep at night,” he says. “The fact that we have to tell them that there’s nothing that can be done to get their money back or to hold the people accountable. ... That’s what drives me.”<br><br>As head of the county district attorney office’s long-standing Elder Abuse Unit, Pirrello prosecutes crimes affecting older people. Four years ago, his unit began targeting <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.sdcda.org/helping/financial-elder-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">elder financial scams</a></span></span> — everything from grandparent scams to cryptocurrency fraud — after discovering local police departments weren’t able to investigate these cases even when victims reported they had experienced fraud.<br><br>“They’re being told there’s nothing that can be done, and so these cases are not making it to prosecutors’ offices,” Pirrello says.<br><br>Nationwide, such crimes have skyrocketed, as crooks’ technological sophistication has grown.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><figure class="Figure" data-alignment="left"> <img src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/59/90/904ef2e84299b7754659ee3b7fc8/california-art.png" alt="Graphic by Nicolas Rapp" width="898" height="714" style="height: auto; max-width: 360px;"/> <figcaption class="Figure-caption">Chart by Nicolas Rapp</figcaption> </figure> </div> </div><p>In San Diego Count alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023, according to the FBI. The Federal Trade Commission says losses reported by adults 60 and older totaled at least $1.6 billion in the U.S. in 2022. That figure doesn’t represent “even a drop in the bucket of what’s actually happening” because of underreporting by people who don’t know they’ve been a crime victim or are too embarrassed to report it, says Kathy Stokes, AARP director of <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fraud prevention programs</a></span></span>. In fact, the FTC estimates fraud losses by those 60 and older could have been as high as $48.4 billion in 2022.<br><br>Pirrello and his team are gaining national attention for their efforts, which include helping to develop in 2021 the Elder Justice Task Force, involving the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Adult Protective Services, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other agencies. Pirrello says the task force is on the cutting edge of tracking fraud, in part because it gathers law enforcement data in real time. For example, it trains police officers to get from scam victims actionable information, such as phone numbers and email addresses used by scammers.<br><br><b>A tech-support swindle</b><br><br>The task force’s cases involve many of the most common ones in the scam game.<br><br>In October 2023, the district attorney’s office charged a 22-year-old man from San Gabriel in a tech-support and banking scam that stole more than $200,000 in cash from a 65-year-old woman who was told the move would protect her funds.<br><br>According to the district attorney’s office, the woman’s computer froze and a pop-up message from “Microsoft” provided a phone number to call to fix the problem. It ended with her making several withdrawals of $20,000 to $30,000 after somebody from “Chase Bank” said her account had been compromised. The San Gabriel man was arrested when authorities say he went to the woman’s home to pick up some cash. (Neither Microsoft nor Chase was actually involved.)<br><br>A prosecutor for 18 years, New York native Pirrello worked in real estate and technology before heading at age 25 to the University of San Diego for law school.<br><br>About 15 years ago, he sought the mentorship of Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood, longtime head of the Elder Abuse Unit. Pirrello learned to think outside the box, using such tactics as charging contractors with residential burglary for accepting payment from victims but not performing the contracted work.<br><br>“It’s much more than just a career,” says Greenwood, who retired in 2018 and is an elder abuse consultant for AARP. “… It’s having a desire to seek some kind of accountability and some kind of justice for victims that often believe that nobody is going to pay them any attention.”<br><br>Pirrello and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan say the task force can be a national model for fighting fraud. But the job ahead is massive.<br><br>“We haven’t even scratched the surface of the things that we could be doing to protect our seniors,” Pirrello says.<br><br><i>Julie Rasicot, a writer and editor in Montgomery County, Maryland, writes regularly for the AARP Bulletin.</i></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-brightcoveplayer data-video-player class="BrightcoveVideoPlayer" data-account="3772599298001" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-video-title="AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud" > <video class="video-js" id="BrightcoveVideoPlayer-6284388591001" data-video-id="6284388591001" data-account="" data-player="KM9xJAJa4" data-embed="default" controls ></video> </bsp-brightcoveplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">AARP Fraud Frontiers: Our Susceptibility to Fraud</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>More on fraud</b><br></p><ul><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/top-scammer-list.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">6 Top Scams to Watch Out for in 2024</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2023/build-better-passwords.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">5 Ways to Build Better Passwords</a></span></span></li><li><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/protecting-yourself-from-criminals.html?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">13 Ways to Protect Yourself from Fraud</a></span></span></li></ul></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP California. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/california/" target="_blank">AARP California</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/sacramento-ca/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html): failed to open stream: No such file or directory [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3c185-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Warning</b> (2)</a>: include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app//Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [<b>APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code</b>, line <b>1</b>]<div id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr66edecbc3d00d-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$module = array( '_id' => '66158db0e9dff2b1fd9cafcd', 'module_id' => '1098', 'name' => 'RHS - Events Experience', 'type' => 'php', 'data' => '<?php include(APP . "/Resource/experience.master.resource.root.html"); ?> <style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style>', 'css' => '.recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px} .recommenadationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:rgb(221,18,0); font-size:12px} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px} ', 'script' => '', 'cache_time' => '', 'localize' => '0' ) $obj = false</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 eval - APP/Lib/Modules.php(13) : eval()'d code, line 1 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 13 Modules::load() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 29 Localize::getModule() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 294 Localize::replace() - APP/Lib/Localize.php, line 219 Modules::render() - APP/Lib/Modules.php, line 9 include - APP/View/Elements/display.ctp, line 13 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167</pre></div></pre><style type="text/css"> .recommenationSection {font-family: Lato, sans-serif} .recommendationSection h3 {font-size:30px!important; text-transform:none; letter-spacing:0.03em} .recommendationSection .js-mvc-offer-recommended-article-pack-category {color:#dd1200; font-family:Lato, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:700; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0} .recommendationSection h4 a {color:#121212; font-size:20px; font-weight:700} .recommendationSection .uxdia-c-featured-tile__content-wrapper {padding: 0 0 .5em 0; margin-bottom: 1.25em; border-bottom: 1px solid #000} </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SACRAMENTO-CA">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? 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In San Diego County alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023,"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2a4e55f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/972x625+69+0/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2F05%2Fb5%2F11168bd4577ddb3897ba9c9ea598%2Fscam-jam.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="California: As Scam Artists Adapt, So Does Local DA"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Fraud against older adults has skyrocketed in recent years. In San Diego County alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023,"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2a4e55f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/972x625+69+0/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2F05%2Fb5%2F11168bd4577ddb3897ba9c9ea598%2Fscam-jam.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }' $title_for_layout = '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = ' :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }' $highlighting = '<span class="highlighting">Highlighting Sacramento</span>' $location = '<a href="/sacramento-ca/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Greater Sacramento, CA</a>' $no_header = false $header_title = '<a href="/sacramento-ca/happenings/">News Feed</a>' $header_subtitle = '' $isPR = false $navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse"> <div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div> <ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true"> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/sacramento-ca/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/sacramento-ca/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li> <li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/sacramento-ca/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/sacramento-ca/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/sacramento-ca/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/sacramento-ca/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more"> <span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span> <ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu"> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/sacramento-ca/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/sacramento-ca/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/sacramento-ca/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/sacramento-ca/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li> <!-- <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/sacramento-ca/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/sacramento-ca/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/sacramento-ca/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li> --> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav>' $header_custom = '' $breadcrumbs = array( (int) 0 => array( 'title' => 'News Feed', 'slug' => 'happenings' ) ) $row = array( 'title' => 'Back to News Feed', 'slug' => 'happenings' ) $i = (int) 0include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? 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