Brian Watson, Community Outreach Specialist with Resource Outreach to Safeguard the Older (ROSE), speaks to the group about preventing older adults from becoming victims of fraud.

Over the past 14 months, Watson has presented to more than 50 groups and has appeared on television, radio shows, and podcasts.

“You can’t catch all criminals,” he said. “That’s why we want to eliminate fraud. We’re focused on prevention.”

Watson, a former special agent and public information officer for the IRS, gave presentations at the Flagstaff and Prescott police departments and the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office. He also speaks regularly with banks and auto dealers, as well as retirement communities. “We will work with anyone on fraud prevention.”

Watson has also met victims of fraud. He says it’s heartbreaking because so many people have lost so much money. Some people lose their entire life savings. “The way you interact with others changes because you can no longer trust people.”

He provides a list of common types of scams.

Phishing. Emails or text messages sent to trick people into divulging personal information. “Be suspicious. Don’t click on links. These are usually strange emails, so don’t open them,” he said.

Tech support scams are scams that tell you there’s a problem with your bank or computer security system and ask you for personal information or a password to gain access to your computer system. “If you’re not sure, contact the company directly,” he said.

Butchering a pig. These are romance scams that ask you to transfer money via cryptocurrency, usually over a long period of time. Scammers often target lonely people, whether they are divorced or widowed. “They’re paying attention to you. This is a big global problem. Pig butchering started in China. “They call their victims pigs, take their money and kill them,” Watson said. added that some romance scams started on Christian dating sites. He also said the United Nations was investigating fraudulent farms in Southeast Asia.

Credit card fraud. “Scammers may tell victims their credit card has expired and ask for personal information,” Watson said. “You can’t engage with people like this.” Instead, he says, contact the company directly to confirm whether the call is genuine.

Watson became involved with ROSE after meeting founder Joyce Petrowski. She founded the nonprofit organization after falling victim to a romance scam. Most of the ROSE board members are also victims of fraud. Scams affect people of all ages, but older adults are often more vulnerable.

While many scams are difficult for law enforcement to prove, scams involving cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin can leave a digital footprint, making it easier for law enforcement to investigate. “Scammers can be caught, but it’s tough because they have to keep pace with all the other victims,” ​​he says.

“The best part about this is [being involved with ROSE] “People appreciate that someone cares about them,” he said.

Watson, who also teaches white-collar crime at the University of Arizona, said the most difficult part of the job is finding funding. As a nonprofit organization, ROSE continually solicits grants and donations and holds fundraising events such as golf tournaments. FBN

Stan Bindel, FBN

Watson holds a bachelor’s degree in business and economics from the University of California, Los Angeles. He is a certified public accountant in California. For more information please email us BrianWatson@roseadvocacy.org.

Photo by Stan Bindel: ROSE Community Outreach Specialist Brian Watson spreads the word in northern Arizona about the most common scams. He works to help people, especially the elderly, recognize the signs that bad guys are calling.