Elderly Protection: Anti-Scam Protection Project Approved for the Municipality of Bari in 2025

The Municipality of Bari has approved the project “Prevention of Fraud against the Elderly 2025”, an initiative funded by the Ministry of the Interior to protect the over 65s from scams at home, on the street and online. The program includes the information campaign “I won't fall for it”, a network of Security Sentinels, listening points and awareness-raising activities in the five Municipalities of the city. Objective: to protect the most vulnerable population, preventing risks and combating criminal phenomena.

The council approved the project yesterday “Elderly Fraud Prevention 2025” and the related Memorandum of Understanding between the Prefecture and the Municipality of Bari. The project, financed by the Single Justice Fund of the Ministry of the Interior with a contribution of 60.532 euros, provides for the dissemination of the information campaign “I won't fall for it”, dedicated to senior citizens to prevent and combat scams at home, on the street and on the internet, and the activation of a mutualistic network "Security Sentinels” to inform and listen to the elderly and their families. The activities will involve the departments Local Police, Civil Protection and Personal Services.

"The Municipality has already joined the ministerial initiative in the past years, with excellent results in terms of prevention and widespread awareness – commented the councilor for Urban Liveability and Civil Protection Carla Palone -. The goal is now to resume and implement the activities, also in light of the many reports that record tricks and techniques that are increasingly difficult for potential victims to recognize. There are now numerous episodes of scams against the elderly through sneaky deceptions, with the criminals disguising themselves as members of the police force or resorting to deceptive phone calls. This project will also allow us to create a database to define a mapping of vulnerabilities".

"The current socio-economic situation and the resurgence that the scam phenomenon has been experiencing in recent months are such as to require great attention towards the most fragile population and those most exposed to scams. – added the Councilor for Justice, Social Welfare and Civil Rights Elizabeth Vaccarella -. The project's mission is, therefore, to create an information and support network capable of not only guaranteeing protection and assistance, including psychological assistance, to elderly victims of fraud, but also of preventing potential risk situations and combating criminal phenomena often perpetrated against the most fragile subjects. We will focus attention on the rights and needs of the elderly, using language that is as simple and immediate as possible, ensuring local training and information.".

“I won’t fall for it” information campaigns

 Il The Municipality will promote a widespread information campaign through a campaign to prevent and combat fraud at home, on the street and on the internet, dedicated to the segment of the population made up of over 65s, who in the city of Bari are approximately 75.000. In this regard, in continuity with the previous edition of the project, we intend to disseminate an information booklet to be distributed at senior centers, family service centers, hospitals, schools, CAF, Patronati, banks, post offices, insurance companies and cooperatives involved in the sector of social integration and home care, currently active on an urban scale.

A video spot will also be broadcast with the involvement of local personalities from the world of entertainment as testimonials. Data collection questionnaires are planned regarding the type of users who contact the Local Police to report, denounce or ask for information about the dynamics of possible scams. The collection of information will be used to build a database that defines a mapping by age group, neighborhood, socioeconomic condition of the most vulnerable subjects within the city territory, in order to be able to identify focus areas for future targeted interventions.

Security Sentinels

In the territory of the five Municipalities a “network of security sentries", that allows us to monitor potential victims of the criminal phenomenon of fraud. Dedicated meetings will be organized, to be held also in places where the elderly typically meet (gardens, clubs, etc.) aimed at carrying out specific training and information activities on the peculiar dynamics of scams. Specific corner areas will be set up in the five Municipalities, where, also through Mobile Offices of the Local Police, awareness campaigns will be launched. In the "listening points" promoted by the Local Police, users will be informed of the possibility of contacting the operations room of the Corps or of going personally to the offices of the Command for any requests for intervention, reports or even simply information on the issues covered by the project.