The Montgomery County Commission for Women will host a free community event on navigating fraud, scams, and AI risks. The event will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 18, at the Executive Office Building in Rockville. It will also be available online.
Registration is required for the in-person event. The Executive Office Building is located at 101 Monroe St. in Rockville. Directions and parking information are available online.
To join the event online, stream it on the Commission for Women’s Facebook page or YouTube channel.
The idea for the event emerged from the Commission’s 2024 Women’s Legislative Briefing. Sponsors at the Chair’s Networking Reception noted a significant increase in online fraud and scams.
A recent Federal Trade Commission report revealed that consumers lost $10 billion to scams and fraud in 2023. This is up from $3.5 billion in 2020. Many fraud victims do not report their losses due to embarrassment.
County Executive Marc Elrich emphasized the importance of this event, stating, “This is a wonderful follow-up to my August press conference about gold bar scams affecting residents nationwide.”
The event will feature a panel of experts from various County departments and local organizations:
- Kelly Davis, program manager/investigator, Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office
- Eric Friedman, director, Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection
- Karen Morgan, assistant project manager, AARP
- Keith Young, chief information security officer, Montgomery County Office of Enterprise Information Security
The panel will provide insights and advice on how to protect oneself from fraud and scams.
