Fight Back Against Fraud

By Ronald A. Fatoullah, Esq.

{1:50 minutes to read} As the principal of Ronald Fatoullah & Associates, I have had the pleasure of serving on the Executive Council of AARP New York for the past several years. AARP New York has organized Operation Stop Scams 2018 to help New Yorkers fight back against fraud. Operation Stop Scams events are being held throughout New York State wherein anyone can bring up to three grocery bags of personal residential documents and have their documents shredded free of charge. Visit www.aarp.org/nystopscams to access informative information and shredding sites and times when trucks will be available for collection.

Identity theft is America's fastest-growing crime and according to the Federal Trade Commission, last year alone 9.9 million Americans were victims of identity theft. It can involve credit card fraud, internet fraud or mail theft. In addition, sensitive and personal information can be obtained from your garbage can if you are not taking important steps to protect yourself and family by shredding papers prior to throwing them out. Furthermore, AARP advises that experts recommend the use of a micro-cut shredder because scraps of paper from a straight or cross-cut shredder can still be reassembled and used by identity thieves.

"Identity theft is one of the most prevalent types of fraud encountered by people age 50 and over," according to Beth Finkel, State Director of AARP New York. "By doing something as simple as shredding their documents, New Yorkers can safeguard their identity along with their hard earned credit rating and retirement savings from unscrupulous thieves."

Thank you, AARP for this important service for all New Yorkers, not just those over 50.

Ronald A. Fatoullah, Esq. is the principal of Ronald Fatoullah & Associates, a law firm that concentrates in elder law, estate planning, Medicaid planning, guardianships, estate administration, trusts, wills, and real estate. The law firm can be reached at 718-261-1700, 516-466-4422, or toll-free at 1-877-ELDER-LAW or 1-877-ESTATES. Mr. Fatoullah is also a partner with Advice Period, a wealth management firm, and he can be reached at 424-256-7273.