<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal>Join us today, Saturday at 2:00 PM EDT for a representative from AARP who will share the following and zoom info is at the bottom of this message!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1.May’s Military Appreciation Month and AARP promotes a 30% Membership Discount for Veterans, Military, and their Spouses. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>2. Veterans Fraud Center rollout happens next week! AARP is launching a new site (<a href="http://www.AARP.org/VetsFraudCenter">www.AARP.org/VetsFraudCenter</a>) and will provide a NEW Watchdog Alert Handbook: Veterans Edition, and post new content highlighting all of it on <a href="http://www.AARP.org/Veterans">www.AARP.org/Veterans</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Fraud. NEW free offering by AARP to the Veterans & Military Families community through Operation Protect Veterans and the Fraud Watch Network as part of AARP’s April Fraud Theme Month.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>3. Tax time is here again and so are the IRS impostors. Scammers posing as IRS agents or Treasury Department officials are calling to convince taxpayers that they owe back taxes and face immediate arrest if they don’t pay immediately. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Know that anytime a taxpayer faces a tax problem, the real IRS will reach out via mail, and will not call unless they don’t hear back after multiple letters. If you receive an unexpected phone call, email or text indicating it’s the IRS, do not engage. If you are concerned you may owe back taxes, call the IRS at 800-829-1040 or visit irs.gov/balancedue. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Federal Trade Commission released its annual compendium of fraud reports from last year, and the news is shocking. Over the past three years, reported losses to consumer fraud has tripled, coming in at a reported $5.9 billion in 2021. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Nearly six million US consumers reported a scam last year and the median loss was $500. But the FTC can only tell us about fraud that was reported – we know the losses and number of victims is far higher. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Many factors contribute to under-reporting, including the abundant shame victims feel. This has to change, and it starts with how we talk about fraud victims. Let’s all commit to help change the current narrative that suggests it’s the victim’s fault – she was duped, he was swindled, they fell for it. Focus instead on the crime and the criminal. Let’s ease the emotional burden while making it clear that fraud is a crime and we need our lawmakers and criminal justice system to do more to combat the multi-billion-dollar fraud industry. #notthevictimsfault<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at <a href="http://www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork">www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%'>Genéa Luck<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%'>AARP Virginia State Office<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%'><a href="mailto:gluck@aarp.org">gluck@aarp.org</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:8.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Eras Bold ITC",sans-serif'>Federation Center</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:8.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Eras Bold ITC",sans-serif'><a href="https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8032543777?pwd=QTVQd2RzN3l6QnNmZ0FmSnp6NG8vQT09">https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8032543777?pwd=QTVQd2RzN3l6QnNmZ0FmSnp6NG8vQT09</a></span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:8.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Eras Bold ITC",sans-serif'>Meeting ID: 803 254 3777 Passcode: 124578</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:8.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Eras Bold ITC",sans-serif'>One tap mobile +19292056099,,8032543777# US (New York)</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Eras Bold ITC",sans-serif'> </span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div></blockquote></div></body></html>