ROBERTA NEE ADAMSStaff Writer

Tullahoma Sunrise Rotary is hosting a Fraud Awareness Forum. Susan Haley, SmartBank VP and Fraud Officer, will speak on current scams, how to spot them, what to do if you get a call, and how to keep your resources safe.

Frauds and scams are ever on the rise, with scams becoming more sophisticated all the time. Last year consumers were scammed out of over $16 billion, an increase of over $4 billion stolen in 2023.

Tennessee ranks 19^th in the U.S., having over $190 million stolen by online scammers in 2024. Just recently an 86 year old Fayetteville man was scammed out of $150,000 by scammers posing as bank officials.

The FBI and financial institutions work diligently to keep ahead of scammers and get the word out to consumers about what to watch for to keep from being taken. Almost every day we hear about another large corporation being hacked for personal information. Thieves use this information to steal your money. They can spoof bank phone numbers, and they learn scripts that sound authentic.

This free and important event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 13, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Tullahoma High School Lecture Hall. The public is invited to come and bring friends and loved ones.