Oneida County Offers Elder Abuse Awareness & Prevention EventsView

Oneida County Office for the Aging and 50 Forward Mohawk Valley will be hosting two awareness and prevention sessions on June 15th in recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

These events will highlight scams, how to identify them and what seniors can do if they fall victim to one. Guest speaker Warren Clark from the Better Business Bureau will discuss common scams and explain how to protect credit. Jake Costello from First Source Credit Union will talk about common scams financial institutions see and what they do to help protect customers.

The morning session will take place from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Parkway Recreation Center, 220 Memorial Parkway, Utica. The afternoon session will take place from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 6734 NY State Rt. 13, Verona Beach. Educational materials will also be available at each event.

According to a report by the FBI, in 2024 over 859,532 complaints were received regarding scams and fraud, resulting in losses of $16.6 billion.

"Education about scams is an important part of protecting the community from financial exploitation," said Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. "Each year the scams get more complex and more older adults fall victim. These sessions will provide valuable information that will arm our elder population with the ammunition they need to fight back."

In addition to the sessions on June 15, Oneida County has partnered with New York State Office for the Aging and SilverShield to further combat scams against older adults.

SilverShield is a scam protection service designed to help seniors verify what's real and what's not. Users can send suspicious texts, emails, phone calls and more directly to the service for review. Adults 60 and older can sign up for a free SilverShield subscription through Oneida County Office for the Aging by calling Dawn Piccione at 315-798-5456.

Since the county began offering the SilverShield service in May 23, 2026 scams have been identified for an estimated savings of $20,700.

The Office for the Aging also hosts scam awareness presentations in the community throughout the year. The County Office Building and Parking Garage in Utica will be lit purple and pinwheels will be placed around the COB and the county offices in Oriskany in recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.