MEQUON, Wis. — Mequon police are taking a proactive approach to protect seniors from scammers after fraud losses in the area increased dramatically last year.
On Thursday, the Mequon Police Department hosted a "Senior Safety Session" for residents at Lumia Assisted Living. It's one of several such sessions they are hosting weekly across Ozaukee County. It's part of a new initiative that is teaching elderly residents how to recognize and avoid scams.
"There are so many different scams that they are getting hit from every angle," Sergeant Lindsay Graycarek said.
The sessions come after police data showed that while the number of fraud call reports increased slightly last year, the financial impact to victims was much more severe.
The amount taken by scammers quintupled from just over $500,000 in 2023 to $2.5 million in 2024. TMJ4 News reported on that rise in scam calls back in April.
Barb Leininger is a resident at Lumia. She made it a point to attend the police presentation to learn more about protecting herself after having her own close call with scammers six months ago.
Watch: Mequon sergeant highlights new initiative to protect seniors from scam calls
Scammers impersonated her granddaughter, crying on the phone and demanding money for supposedly causing a car crash.
"I myself went through it," Leininger said. "They called me Grandma, and I'm not Grandma. I'm Nonna," she said.
For those who haven't had the opportunity to attend one of these safety sessions, Leininger offers straightforward advice.
"Find somebody that you can talk to about it or explain things to you," she said. "If it could happen to them, it could happen to anybody."
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