By Madison Butkus
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Recently, it was Movie Matinee Friday at the Walpole Council on Aging (COA). Seniors gathered at the South Street Center (SSC) to view the recent release of “Thelma.”
This specific event was sponsored by Norfolk County DA Morrissey’s Office and centered around the prevention of seniors getting scammed. Representative from the DA’s office, Gale, brought along some informative handouts revolving all around the “Grandparent Scam” being seen today.
Before starting the movie, Gale stated, “Today we are showing the film ‘Thelma’. It is actually based on a true story but they embellished it a little bit. The man who directed this movie, his mother was scammed very much like how you will see it here. So he wanted to bring the message to everyone on how easily it happens, how often it happens, and he did it in a way that the movie is action packed, funny and has some drama to it. It will really teach you the lesson about scams and how they are so easily happening today.”
Gale additionally discussed the handouts she brought with her that she encouraged everyone to take home with them after the movie concluded. These included a brochure on how to avoid a scam, a Grandparent Scam word search, a tech support scam sheet, a brochure from Morrissey’s Office showing other Crime Prevention Unit Senior Workshops and a verified phone numbers list from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. There were also light up bracelets for seniors to grab in order to stay safe while walking at night and RFID Protection Sleeves that create a barrier against electromagnetic signals so scammers cannot get their credit card information.
With this, it was time to start the movie! Seniors sat back and indulged in some apple cider donuts, cupcakes, popcorn, chips, lemonade and/or ginger ale. As the movie went on, COA members watched as Thelma Post, a 94- year old grandmother, lost $10,000 to a con artist over the phone. With the help from a friend and the use of his motorized scooter, she embarks on a journey to reclaim what had been taken from her.
Seniors were utterly thrilled with this movie, as well as the handouts, as it brought so much awareness to how easy it is to be scammed. After this event, they have the knowledge to be better aware of these scams and hopefully not get affected by them.
