City of West Hollywood California 1984
RECREATION SERVICES DIVISION
ommunity C
Connection A QUARTERLY GUIDE TO THRIVE AT ANY AGE | SUMMER 2021
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Financial Planning City Business Tax Tips Green City Awards & Green Seedlings Prize Summer Recipe beWell WeHo UCLA Memory Training Zoom 101 Craft Corner
Community Connection is published quarterly by the City of West Hollywood's Recreation Services Division for everyone, but especially for people 55 and over in the community to get information about news, programs, and services.
To find our current registration schedule and sign up for recreation activities and classes, visit us at: weho.org/recreation or email: recreation@weho.org
AVOIDING SCAMS In February 2021, the City of West Hollywood, along with Assemblymember Richard Bloom’s office and the California Contractors State License Board, co-hosted a virtual Scam Stoppers event. Expert speakers educated the community about how to avoid scams, including those related to COVID-19 vaccines and stimulus payments. The event can be accessed by going to: w.eho.city/whscamstoppers. For more information about COVID-19 related scams, AARP’s website offers articles (aarp.org/money/scams-fraud) about vaccine and stimulus payment scams, as well as “8 Tips to Scam-proof your Life Amid COVID19;” the webpage also has a “Fraud Resource Center” that looks more closely into many different types of scams. In general, scams continue to evolve. Two recently identified Medicare scams include scammers calling older adults to request their Medicare number to update a Medicare card or to provide the recipient with free health testing. Please note: Medicare does NOT contact people by phone or ask for personal information. In situations like these, there are steps you can take to determine if a call is a scam or to report it: make an independent call to the entity that supposedly reached out to you. For example, if you receive a call from a someone identifying as a Medicare representative, do not give them information; instead, hang up and call the number on your Medicare card to inquire. AARP also has several invaluable resources: AARP’s toll-free Fraud Helpline (877-908-3360) and a “Fraud Watch Network” also available at (aarp.org/money/scams-fraud). If you suspect you have been scammed, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Response Center or call the toll-free number 877-382-4357 (FTC-HELP). Finally, if you need support from one of the local non-profit agencies assisting West Hollywood community members, please call Jewish Family Services West Hollywood Comprehensive Services Center (323-851-8202) or the LA LGBT Center’s Senior Program (323-993-7400) to ask for assistance.