Events

February 28, 2026

NYSARA Press Conference to Kick off “Stop the Scam” Program

A press conference is being held to kick off the ‘Stop the Scam” program to prevent older New Yorkers from being involved with scams.

The problem is getting worse with the advent of Artificial Intelligence tools which are increasingly more sophisticated and harder to detect,. These scams are run by complex criminal organizations and are often supported by the tacit complicity of major social media companies which are profiting from the online activity. Working together we can do something about that. Older adults can protect themselves starting with 1) broader education about common scams and how to reduce online risk, 2) sharing the true stories of their experiences, and 3) supporting measures to ensure that all who have a hand in the fraudulent activity are held accountable for both their actions and inaction in the face of widespread evidence, 4) understanding what to do if you are a victim of a scam, and 5) understanding there are tools that currently exist to identify scams/fraud before they happen..

The program will also advocate against the federal government restricting states from passing legislation that holds  social media companies responsible for allowing AI scams to run rampant on their platforms.  Social media companies make millions of dollars from these scam ads.  NYSARA through “Stop the Scam” will also advocate for NYS laws that hold social media platforms responsible from profiting from AI scams on their platform.