December always sees a spike in the number of scams, frauds and identity thefts by crooks taking advantage of the fast paced holiday season. Many of these crimes happen because shoppers are a little less attentive to their surroundings.

As technology changes, scammers are making more use of electronic phishing, malicious apps and bogus offers. Pierce County Aging and Disability Resources will offer “Scams for the Holidays: Avoiding Unpleasant Surprises,” a workshop that will look at some of the more popular scams and ways to avoid traps that may

lead to loss of private financial information.

The workshop will be repeated four times at four different locations:

• Dec. 9 – 12:10 to 12:50 p.m.

Pierce County Annex Main Meeting Room

2401 S 35th Street in Tacoma

• Dec. 9 – 7 to 8 p.m.

Sound View Building

3602 Pacific Avenue in Tacoma

• Dec. 11 – 12:10 to 12:50 p.m.

County City Building Rainier Conference Room

930 Tacoma Ave S, 7th Floor in Tacoma

• Dec. 11 – 7 to 8 p.m.Summit Branch Library

5107 112th St E in Tacoma

“There is no worse feeling that realizing that you have been scammed, especially during the holiday season” said Aaron Van Valkenburg, Manager of Pierce County Aging and Disability Resources. “The best defense is good knowledge of how perpetrators take advantage of people so we know the tell-tale signs of scams, fraud and identity theft. It’s also important to know what to do when we are approached and how to resist such offers.”

“Scams for the Holidays” will be presented by the Pierce County Aging & Disability Resource Center. The workshop includes a special AARP video and examples of the most current scams targeting seniors and families. The workshop is free and open to the public. For details call the Pierce County Aging and Disability Resource Center at (253) 798-4600.