R.O.S.E., Resources/Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly Arizona recently passed a law regulating Bitcoin ATMs to protect consumers—especially older adults—from fraud. Scammers have leveraged these machines for years, tricking people into sending cash into crypto wallets, with funds often disappearing permanently. The new law introduces clear transaction limits, mandatory warnings, and receipts that show where money…
Tag: Outreach
January 2026, Features
Casino Night Fun at the Ranch
Katie Lundgren Patrick and Jacqueline Fancher of Unit 2 organized their fifth annual Casino Night, with proceeds benefiting SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO). This year, the donations surpassed last year’s by nearly $500, resulting in a total contribution of just under $6,000! Way to go, gamblers! Cheers and jeers filled the air as the dice were…
January 2026, Generals
SaddleBrooke Community Outreach – January 2026
Save the Date—Lots of SBCO Events Coming in 2026 Nancy McCluskey-Moore SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) has a busy schedule planned for the new year. We invite you to help us provide local children with the food, clothing, enrichment activities and post-high school scholarships they need to succeed. Through your donation of time and/or funds, together…
September 2025, Generals
Scammers Exploit Emotions: How Older Adults Can Stay a Step Ahead
R.O.S.E., Resources/Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly Scammers don’t need to be smart—they just need to be good at manipulating emotions. Whether it’s fear, greed, loneliness, or even compassion, fraudsters are experts at pressing the right emotional buttons to override logic and rush victims into poor decisions. Older adults are often prime targets. These scams are…
Features, August 2025
Uninitiated Contact: The First Step in the Scam Process
R.O.S.E., Resources/Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly When it comes to scams, the first step is often the most dangerous—and the most overlooked. Scams usually begin with uninitiated contact. That means a phone call you didn’t expect, a text from a number you don’t recognize, or an email asking you to “click here” or to “verify”…
July 2025, Features
Scams at an All-Time High in 2024
R.O.S.E., Resources/Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) released its 2024 Annual Report. This report sheds light on the alarming rise of scams and highlights their devastating financial impact. The IC3 recorded over 850,000 complaints, with reported losses soaring to $16.6 billion. This is a staggering 33% increase from 2023.…
May 2025, Generals
SaddleBrooke Community Outreach Happenings – May 2025
SBCO Elects New Board of Directors for 2025-26 Nancy McCluskey-Moore On April 14 at the annual meeting of SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO), the organization elected its Board of Directors for 2025-26. The members of the new board include: * President—Laura Pauli * Executive Vice President—Gayle Van Natter * Recording Secretaries—Susan Knight * Corresponding Secretary—Karen Green…
May 2025, Generals
How to Outsmart Fake Profiles on Social Media
R.O.S.E., Resources/Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly Fake Facebook and other social media profiles are a growing issue. They are often created by scammers looking to manipulate users for financial gain. These profiles look like real people and often use stolen photos/fake names to appear legitimate. The motivations behind these profiles vary but typically include tricking…
April 2025, Religion
Vista United Methodist Church School Supplies Mission
Jan Hopke-Almer and Lisa Richardson This April, the Vista Mission Outreach Program will begin collecting funds to purchase school supplies and backpacks for students from our sister church in Agua Prieta, Mexico. This program has been a huge success over the past 20-plus years. We began by sponsoring 62 students, growing to our maximum of…
March 2025, Clubs & Classes
National Scam Awareness Day: Protecting Yourself from Fraud
R.O.S.E., Resources/Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly Today is National Scam Awareness Day! That’s right. Today. The day you are reading this. And in fact, every day of every year (at least in our mind) is National Scam Awareness Day. OK. To be fair, National Consumer Protection Week takes place from March 2-8, 2025, and March…