Celebrity Chef Makes a Guest Appearance to talk about Fraud

Best known for his celebrity role on the Food Network hosting such programs as Dinner: Impossible and Restaurant: Impossible, Chef Robert Irvine made a special guest appearance during an event aimed at fighting fraud targeted to Veterans.

Irvine was the featured guest at an educational breakfast hosted by Dover Federal Credit Union and the credit unions of Delaware at Dover Downs Hotel and Casino. More than 100 veterans, their caregivers and family members filled a room with Irvine and a panel of experts representing the Delaware Department of Veterans Affairs, AARP Delaware, The Delaware Department of Justice, the Cooperative Credit Union Association, and Dover Federal Credit Union offer guidance on ways to recognize the signs of financial exploitation, what to do in response, and where to turn for assistance when one becomes a victim of a financial scam.

“Financial scams are estimated to reap more than $40 billion dollars a year from seniors,” noted Walt Laskos, Cooperative Credit Union Association SVP of Strategic Communications. “Credit unions are determined that such a travesty targeting seniors and American veterans does not go unanswered, so we’re fighting back with what’s proven to be the best weapon in the arsenal – education. While we’re hosting educational sessions at senior centers and community gatherings where we arm elders with information to help protect them and their life’s savings, our free online educational program, CU Senior Safeguard, can be accessed on our website, BetterValuesBetterBanking.com by anyone from the comfort of their home.”

Leading the panelists in a lively discussion with the attendees was Kathleen Alt, Assistant Operations Manager, iHeart Radio. The panel included Joe Rago, Special Investigator for the Consumer Protection Unit; Kimberly Iapalucci, Associate State Director for Communication, AARP Delaware; Carole Langiu, Director, Communications & Government Affairs, Cooperative Credit Union Association; Travis Frey, Chief Innovation Officer, Dover Federal Credit Union; and Larence Kirby, State of Delaware, Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

“At AARP, we believe that achieving any financial milestone helps make our future brighter and more secure,” said Kimberly Iapalucci, AARP Associate State Director for Communication. “Preventing fraud is key to protecting your hard-earned money and one way we do that is by providing free resources like AARP’s Fraud Watch Network - designed to help keep you informed and safe from becoming a victim of a financial scam.”