DCBS Media Release

February 4, 2005
For more information:
Dian Cox, DCBS Communications, 503-947-7897

DCBS to join activities, expo for Oregon's seniors and their boomer children

(Salem) The Division of Finance and Corporate Securities and the Insurance Division will be among state-agency presenters at the "Boomer and Senior Expo," Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 19-20, at the Oregon State Fairgrounds. The two divisions are units of the Oregon Department of Consumer & Business Services (DCBS).

The expo caps a week of outreach by state agencies, commissions, boards, and nonprofits that begins with a kick-off ceremony on the steps of the Capitol at 1 p.m., Monday, Feb. 14, by DCBS Director Cory Streisinger and Department of Human Services Director Gary Weeks.

The Departments of Justice and Human Services and DCBS will make presentations at the expo. DFCS outreach specialists Fernando Velez and Eric Kleinman will conduct workshops on predatory lending practices (Sunday at 1 p.m.) and "Frauds and Scams in Securities" (Saturday, 9 a.m.). Christina Jaramillo and Perry DeJoode, Insurance Division, SHIBA program, will present workshops about the Medicare Drug Benefit (Part D) both days at 3:30 p.m. and offer a variety of free Insurance Division publications.

Representatives of a state-agency coalition will hand out "Preventing and Responding to Senior Financial Abuse in Oregon," a new booklet about how to spot a scam, long-term-care insurance, ID theft, and more. It will be available in English, Spanish, and Russian.

Jan Margosian, consumer information coordinator, Department of Justice, will travel the state that week (Feb. 14-18) conducting informational meetings and trainings.

"Our message is that there are many ways in which seniors and their children - the boomer generation - can be abused. The generations need to work together to help one another," said Margosian, "just as agencies need to work together to fight these kinds of abuses."

The focus of the expo goes well beyond abuse and fraud to cover such topics as recreation, retirement and assisted living, and products and services to improve the quality of life for seniors and baby-boomers. Tickets are $4, $2 for seniors.

• For copies of "Preventing and Responding to Senior Financial Abuse in Oregon," call Velez, (503) 947-7854.
• For DFCS alerts, complaint forms, speaker scheduling, and free publications, visit www.dfcs.oregon.gov.
• For general information about financial fraud from the Oregon Department of Justice, Financial Fraud/Consumer Protection, visit http://www.doj.state.or.us/.