Help seniors to sniff out, stay clear of scammers

Liow (seated, centre) at the Johor Baru Happy and Joyous Club Caring Red Nose 2023 programme held at Paradigm Mall Johor Baru.

The public is urged to be mindful of scams that target the elderly.

Johor Jaya assemblyman Liow Cai Tung said such crimes could only be reduced if the public kept others informed so that fewer people fall prey to these scams.

“For example, my office often receives reports regarding online scams for investments that promise high returns and products with absurdly high discounts.

“Sadly, a majority of the victims are the elderly, so I hope that the public can be more proactive in protecting our senior citizens,” she said when contacted.

Liow added that there was a report on a pukau (black magic) case in June where a 68-year-old woman was approached by strangers and lost RM40,000 in jewellery and cash to them in Johor Baru.

“I have also shared the same message during the Johor Baru Happy and Joyous Club Caring Red Nose 2023 programme at Paradigm Mall as the majority of its members are elderly,” Liow said.

Johor Baru Happy and Joyous Club president Koh Mui Cheng said its Caring Red Nose programme was organised for a fifth time after it went on a hiatus since 2019 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Spreading awareness of positivity, love and care has been the main aim of the association to help relieve stress.

“We have been working with government health facilities such as Hospital Sultan Ismail, Hospital Sultanah Aminah and Hospital Permai to spread joy and cheer to their patients.

“At the moment, we have around 200 members who have been trained to provide moral support to those dealing with stress,” she said.

The Caring Red Nose programme at the Johor Baru mall was one of the largest the club had organised this year.

She added that it had distributed 500 red noses along with a flower garland and a smiley mask to the public in the hope of sharing warmth during these challenging times.

Club members conducted a laughter session, poetry reading, singing and dancing as well as balloon sculpture activities for children during the programme.

Caring Red Nose 2023 organising chairman Maggie Chong said the event also saw support from Befrienders Johor Baru and Johor Women’s League (Jewel).

The Johor Baru Breast Cancer Support Group, Johor Baru Alzheimer’s Disease Support Association, Brahma Kumaris Malaysia Foundation, Lotus Ville Care Centre and Mahmoodiah Health Clinic were also involved.

“We are working with other associations to reach a wider audience,” said Chong.