Rutledge wants seniors to report scams

The Weekly Vista/Brandon Howard Liz Garcia and Lacie Kirchner, staff members for Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, met with residents Tuesday, May 12, from 9 a.m. to noon at City Hall to assist with consumer issues and help them in filing complaints against scam artists. The mobile office is a new initiative Rutledge launched in April, with the goal to bring the Attorney General’s office to all 75 of Arkansas’ counties over the next year.
The Weekly Vista/Brandon Howard Liz Garcia and Lacie Kirchner, staff members for Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, met with residents Tuesday, May 12, from 9 a.m. to noon at City Hall to assist with consumer issues and help them in filing complaints against scam artists. The mobile office is a new initiative Rutledge launched in April, with the goal to bring the Attorney General’s office to all 75 of Arkansas’ counties over the next year.

Fraudsters and scammers beware, Attorney General Leslie Rutledge is on the prowl.

The Attorney General's mobile office was in Bella Vista on May 12 to help residents who are having consumer issues and assist them in filing complaints against scam artists. The mobile office is a new initiative Rutledge launched in April, according to a press release from communications director Judd Deere. The goal is to bring the Attorney General's office to all 75 of Arkansas' counties over the next year.

Consumer complaints can be filed with the Attorney General’s office in person at 323 Center Street #200 in Little Rock, by phone at 501-682-2007 or online at www.ag.arkansas.gov.

Other hotlines include:

Arkansas Medicaid Fraud Control Unit

(866) 810-0016

Consumer Protection

(800) 482-8982

Cyber Crimes

(800) 843-5678

Health Care Bureau

(800) 482-8982

Racial Profiling

(877) 246-4404

Rutledge said last week in a phone interview that she's a "firm believer that there is no issue too small to have a face-to-face conversation with Arkansans about."

"A couple from Gentry or Jasper or Bella Vista doesn't have to come to downtown Little Rock (where the Attorney General's office is located) to file a complaint," Rutledge said.

The Attorney General's office assists with a variety of consumer complaints, ranging from identity theft and Medicare fraud to cyber crimes and racial profiling. The office can be contacted by phone at 501-682-2007. Consumers also can submit complaints via the Internet at www.ag.arkansas.gov or by phone at 1-800-482-8982.

In Bella Vista, roughly 31 percent of the population is over 65, according to available 2010 census data. That's about 17 points higher than the state average (14.1 percent). That data played a part in Bella Vista being chosen for the mobile office.

"Senior citizens often fall victim to con artists," Deere said in an email. "And as one of the largest areas in the state with a retiree population, (Bella Vista's) distance from Little Rock (made it) an ideal choice to help start this new program."

A study from the AARP found that people over 50 are often targeted for financial scams because they "typically have more assets -- a pension or other retirement savings, income from a current job, equity in a home, and so on."

The study also found that the elderly are common victims because they "tend to be more trusting and charitable than their younger counterparts."

Common scams include mail or insurance fraud, counterfeit prescription drugs, sweepstakes/lottery scams and telemarketing schemes, according to the National Council on Aging.

Between November 2014 and January 2015, the Bella Vista Police Department received 18 complaints of fraud, according to data provided by Police Chief Ken Farmer. Dispatch logs also show that the BVPD logged several complaints of IRS phone scams and cases of identity theft between January and April.

Meanwhile police records from earlier this month show that a caller received a threatening call from someone posing as the Benton County Sheriff's Office. A caller on May 2 reported that BCSO phoned to tell them they had missed jury duty and there was a warrant out for their arrest.

Alderman James Wozniak was made aware of the incident and said scammers have "upped their game."

"When you get a call from the Sheriff's Office, you get nervous," he said. "And things happen. Mail gets lost."

However, Farmer said he is unsure if Bella Vista is more prone to scams than other cities in the region, but noted reports of fraud are more common here.

But Rutledge wants residents to speak up.

"(That's) one thing we're concerned about. People don't report it," Rutledge said. "They think, 'it's a silly mistake on my part.' But we want to ensure that people know it's OK; that (our office) will be there to fight for them."

General News on 05/20/2015