LONGMEADOW, Mass. — A Hampden County prosecutor who specializes in elder abuse spoke to 30 seniors at the Longmeadow Adult Center about how to spot and avoid common scams, the Hampden District Attorney's Office said.

Assistant District Attorney Nina Vivenzio led the session as part of the office's Education Against Senior Exploitation program, known as EASE. The office said the program addresses scams, financial exploitation and physical abuse affecting older residents of Hampden County.

Vivenzio asked the audience whether they had heard of the "grandparent scam," and many had, according to the office. In that scheme, she said, a caller pretends to be the person's grandchild, claims to have caused an accident and to be in jail, and asks for bail money, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars.

Besides phone calls, Vivenzio said, scams most often arrive by email or text message. Warning signs include receiving something unexpectedly, such as a bill, and misspellings in an email or text, she said. She told the audience to call a source directly, such as a credit card company, to confirm any information.

Vivenzio also described "romance scams," particularly among people who use online dating. She said the scammer typically builds a relationship but avoids meeting in person, wants to keep things online and asks for personal information, which she called another red flag.

She told the group never to share personal information by email, over the phone or in a text message.

The office said EASE is one of several free education and prevention programs it offers across the county.

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