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    MEALS ON WHEELS AND THE BUREAU OF
    CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION

    PROTECTING SENIORS FROM FINANCIAL ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION

    The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (the Bureau, formerly known as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)) is a federal agency that was created after the financial recession in 2008 to empower and educate consumers and protect them from unfair and deceptive financial products and services. The Bureau’s Office for Older Americans leads initiatives to help protect older people from financial harm and to create tools and resources to support sound financial decision-making.

    Meals on Wheels America and the Bureau first began working together several years ago to address the issue of senior financial exploitation. From the time of the first meeting together, the Bureau has started creating meal placemats that included basic scam prevention tips. With more than 2.4 million seniors receiving Meals on Wheels every year, this presents a unique opportunity to deliver educational information about ways seniors, volunteers, family and friends can prevent and identify elder financial abuse and exploitation beside the nutritious meal.

    This page acts as a hub for a variety of resources provided by, or created in conjunction with, the Bureau. More resources may be added in the future, so we encourage you to check back regularly.

    PLACEMATS AND OTHER RESOURCES

    The Bureau produces a number of resources throughout the year – placemats and guides, for example – that are all free to order in bulk from the Bureau’s Office for Older Americans, which makes it easy to share them with the seniors you serve and your volunteers. The resources cover a variety of topics related to protecting seniors from financial abuse and exploitation, including: information for financial caregivers; training on raising awareness of frauds and scams; and tips to help older adults and staff from congregate and home-delivered meal programs to recognize common types of fraud.

    CFPBCap

    Most resources are available in English and Spanish. Explore these FREE resources and place your orders here.

    Visit consumerfinance.gov/olderamericans for even more resources to assist in supporting financial protection for the seniors in your communities.

    ON-DEMAND WEBINAR SERIES

    Watch short on-demand webinars about elder financial abuse and exploitation.

    SERVING UP HOT MEALS WITH CONSUMER EDUCATION TO
    PROTECT OLDER AMERICANS FROM ABUSE

    An overview of the placemat collaboration project with the Bureau, including how to order the placemats in bulk – for free.

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    ELDER FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION – WHAT IS IT AND HOW TO SPOT IT

    An overview on elder financial exploitation that will include a definition of the problem, how to recognize if it’s happening to any of your meal recipients, and how to report it to the proper authorities.

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    RESOURCES ON FRAUD PREVENTION

    Are you looking for an easy way to engage with meal recipients before the meal service begins? Why not share a fraud prevention lesson that compliments and goes beyond the Bureau’s free financial education placemats? The Bureau offers many turnkey resources, including lesson plans that can be broken up into 10 minute mini lessons and informative leave-behinds that you can order for free in bulk. Learn more about these fraud prevention resources!

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    BEYOND THE MEAL – EDUCATING YOUR MEAL RECIPIENTS
    USING THE BUREAU’S PLACEMAT COMPANION GUIDES

    You may know that the Bureau’s free consumer education placemats are available to download or order in bulk for free, but have you downloaded the companion toolkits yet? They give meal site coordinators an opportunity to take the message of the placemats a step further – from reporting financial fraud to the right source to giving tips to find legitimate charities.

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