Program in Clarion will focus on scams affecting elderly

From staff reports

A law enforcement veteran with 23 years of experience in investigating crime will present a special program July 23 to inform senior citizens about current scams aimed at the elderly and ways to avoid being victimized.

Alan McGill, a senior supervisory special agent with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, will present “Identity Theft and Fraud Awareness” at the Main Street Center in Clarion from 11 a.m. to noon that day.

The program is free and open to the public.

“The program is designed to help Pennsylvania’s older population become ‘scam smart’ to the threat of fraud to the elder community by covering scams, cons and other crimes,” said a press release from the attorney general’s Office of Public Engagement.

The program will cover such things as charitable contributions, sweepstakes/lottery, checks and money orders, home improvement and identity theft.

“Agent McGill has personally conducted and/or supervised hundreds of investigations throughout western Pennsylvania,” the release said.

The investigations have ranged from worker’s compensation fraud to undercover narcotics investigations.

McGill served as a police officer for three years with the Freeport Police Department and then 20 years with the Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and Drug Control, where he worked in many capacities, including undercover narcotics agent, Drug Task Force coordinator, drug diversion agent, narcotics and drug diversion unit supervisor, computer voice stress analyst, prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) statewide supervisor, clandestine laboratory enforcement program member and a technician installing wiretap equipment.

McGill serves on the executive committee of the National Association of State Controlled Substance Authorities, where he chairs the education committee.