Hill City Center to host scam prevention seminar

The Hill City Center is inviting the public to attend a seminar to help recognize scams and prevent community members from falling victim. Leading the seminar will be Pennington County Sheriff’s Office deputy Jim Waldrop. 

“If there’s anything that I think we are extremely susceptible to in this community, it’s the scams,” said Waldrop. “We’ve got a large elderly population here that’s very vulnerable to being scammed, either through phone or social media.”

Personal information is readily available through the internet and social media, which scammers will use to target people who think they are communicating with a loved one. 

“It’s shocking how easy it is for people that know what they’re doing to get enough information about me and then call one of my loved ones and try to convince them it’s me,” said Waldrop. “Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is, our elderly population is very susceptible to that.”

Waldrop hopes to help individuals recognize a scam and provide practical advice, including the importance of verifying requests before providing any money. 

At least, “slow down and double check. Especially before giving anybody money,” said Waldrop. “Anytime somebody’s trying to collect something, it’s never so urgent, despite what they say, that you cannot hang up and verify.”

The seminar will take place at the Hill City Center Oct. 10 at 10 a.m. The community is encouraged to attend.