The Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas, Inc. is encouraging seniors, caregivers, and community members to participate in a free virtual workshop focused on protecting older adults from scams and financial exploitation as part of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2026 activities. The online event is designed to help educate attendees about common fraud schemes targeting seniors and provide strategies for avoiding becoming victims.
According to the announcement shared by the organization, the workshop is titled “Common Scams and How to Avoid Them: World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2026.” Organizers say the virtual event will take place Wednesday, June 10, 2026.
The workshop is scheduled to run from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, which is 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Central Standard Time. The event will be hosted live on Zoom and is free for participants to attend. Registration is available online through a Zoom registration link and a shortened Bit.ly link shared in promotional materials.
The event is being held in recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, often referred to as WEAAD. The annual observance is recognized internationally to help raise awareness about elder abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, and mistreatment affecting older adults around the world.
Promotional materials for the workshop emphasize the growing problem of scams targeting seniors. Organizers warn that older adults are frequently targeted by criminals because scammers often view seniors as vulnerable to financial fraud, identity theft, online scams, impersonation schemes, and other forms of exploitation.
The workshop is intended to teach attendees how to recognize warning signs associated with common scams and how to better protect themselves, family members, and loved ones from becoming victims. Organizers say education and awareness are some of the most effective tools in preventing elder financial abuse.
Several Florida aging and elder advocacy organizations are partnering together to present the workshop. Promotional materials list organizations including Senior Connection Center, Area Agency on Aging of Palm Beach/Treasure Coast, Advantage Aging Solutions, Senior Resource Alliance, ElderSource, Elder Options, Alliance for Aging, Area Agency on Aging of Broward County, Northwest Florida Area Agency on Aging, and the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas.
The event is also presented in partnership with Secure Seniors Florida and the Florida Association of Area Agencies on Aging. Both groups focus on protecting older adults through education, advocacy, support services, and elder abuse prevention efforts throughout Florida communities.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was launched by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse in 2006 and later recognized by the United Nations as an official observance. The purpose of WEAAD is to increase public understanding of elder abuse and encourage communities worldwide to support and protect older adults.
According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, elder abuse can include financial exploitation, emotional abuse, physical abuse, neglect, and social isolation. Experts say financial scams targeting seniors continue increasing each year, particularly through phone scams, online fraud, fake charities, impersonation schemes, romance scams, and identity theft attempts.
Organizers behind the virtual workshop hope the event will help seniors feel more confident recognizing suspicious activity and understanding what steps to take if they believe they are being targeted by scammers. The presentation also aims to strengthen community awareness surrounding elder justice and elder abuse prevention.
