May 27, 2025
Hey Y’All,
I imagine we’ve all had a close encounter with consumer fraud of one kind or another? From the Nigerian prince, to an extended warranty on your automobile, to the back taxes you may be liable for, to crypto currency or other investment opportunities too good to be true, we are constantly being bombarded with assaults on our savings. There seems to be no end to the ways in which unscrupulous individuals seek to take advantage of us and empty our pocketbooks. And, as we age, and trusted family and friends depart this life, we become more vulnerable to these sorts of scams.
Last week Jeff Buscher, from the United Way of the Lewis and Clark Area, discussed homelessness in Helena with us. He proposed a ‘matchmaker’ type of effort, wherein someone with a spare room or two in their home could take in another person in need of housing and companionship. It’s a noble idea and could be a workable arrangement for any number of people, and we wish Jeff well as he develops it. I suspect, however, that one of the barriers he will encounter is a ’trust’ factor. People have been victimized by those they thought they could trust to come in and share a dwelling, do a few of the the chores, or the grocery shopping, or balancing the checkbook. I’m sure that as he works on this Jeff and his colleagues will come up with a way to guard against this sort of thing.
One state agency looking out for your interest is the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance (CSI)/State Auditor. The current Commissioner, elected last Fall is Mr. James Brown. This week we are going to hear from Ms. Blair Smith, at the CSI’s Office. Ms. Smith works with the Financial Abuse Specialist Team (FAST) in the Commissioner’s Office. She will discuss the size and scope of the problem, and the various scams being perpetrated these days here in Montana; and how to protect yourself and your loved ones. She’ll also discuss the role of the CSI/FAST and how they are able to help our citizens. Montana is one of a handful of states that have established a ‘restitution fund’ to help people that have been victimized. Blair Smith will explain that to us this week as well.
This will be a very helpful, informative presentation at Hometown Helena. We hope you are able to join the discussion at Helena College this Thursday morning from 7-8 am. And, as always you are welcome to Zoom into the meeting, courtesy of Aja Rail and the good people at Pinion who allow us to use their Zoom platform.
Looking forwards to seeing you, in person or on the Zoom!
Jim Smith
406-949-1002
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