NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The Norfolk Sheriff’s Office understands that it’s a community effort to protect our senior citizens.
That’s why they make it easy for law enforcement and our local seniors to come together once a year at “Senior Fest.”
Wednesday marked the 3rd annual Senior Fest.
More than 700 locals over the age of 55 walked and rolled into the Chartway Arena between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
The one-stop-shop brings our seniors and community organizations together using games, interactive lessons, and even on-site flu shots.
This year’s turnout was wall-to-wall, with vendors and visitors sporting all types of pamphlets and medical forms.
But Sheriff Baron with Norfolk Sheriff’s office says the original goal of Senior Fest focuses on educating seniors about scams and other targeted crimes.
According to the National Center for Elder Abuse, our senior population in the U.S. is expected to double in size by 2050 to 83.7 million.
Without social support from law enforcement and the community, Liza Odhwani with the Social Security Administration says this puts a large target on the backs of seniors in our area.
The Social Security Administration was among seventy vendors who attended the event to educate seniors on scams and protecting themselves from identity fraud.
Although the event was light-hearted, there were important notes to be made.
These senior citizens can fall victim to total financial loss and full-on identity theft in just one phone call
A senior who spoke with 10 On Your Side says information from Senior Fest last year kept him out of trouble.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t say the same for his neighbor.
“If you don’t know the number, don’t answer your phone,” he advises.
It’s a simple tip that he and law enforcement hope to see become more common knowledge.
With events like Senior Fest, our seniors are one step closer to protecting themselves from targeted crimes.
Senior Resources:
Stay with WAVY.com for information on future events.