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Free shredding will also be provided

The Albert Lea Police Department, in partnership with United Methodist Church and Arcadian Bank, will host a free event Oct. 7 at Edgewater Bay Pavilion to help people learn about scams and how to protect themselves from fraud. 

Marty Fleischhacker, senior financial fraud ombudsman and civil enforcement liaison for the Minnesota Department of Commerce, will be the featured speaker, covering topics including common scams and fraud, the Senior Safe Program, who fraudsters are targeting, local fraud attempts, tips on prevention and whom to contact regarding fraud. 

Free shredding will also be provided at the event, which begins at 10 a.m. 

“Every day the PD receives several calls of potential scams,” said Darren Hanson, deputy Albert Lea police chief. 

He said the department wanted to partner with others to bring awareness about the issue. He also noted that once a person falls victim to a scam, they are likely to be targeted for more scam calls. 

In addition to the event Oct. 7, free shredding will also be provided from 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 8 at United Methodist Church. An officer will also be on hand to answer questions on preventing fraud and scams.