If you’re a wine lover, you might pair a cabernet franc with a spicy pasta or grilled lamb chops. But how about tying it to a little knowledge about cryptocurrency fraud?
That was the premise behind Sips & Scams in Woodbridge, an AARP-led event held April 25 at the Winery at Sunshine Ridge Farm in Gainesville. About 100 attendees learned ways to help protect themselves from a variety of fraud and scam attempts, circling between tables where AARP volunteers provided details about romance scams, home improvement scams and other types of fraud. After the participants learned about the fraud types, winery staff offered tastings and information about six vintages – one for each type of fraud and scam being discussed at the event.
For example, at one station, AARP volunteer Will Guthrie told the guests about jury duty scams, and tastings of a 2023 sauvignon blanc were offered.
Guthrie told the attendees that scam targets receive a phone call from an imposter posing as a government official, saying “you missed a jury duty appointment last week, so we’re going to send the police out there because we have a warrant for your arrest unless you pay this fine immediately. What they’re going to say is that ‘we need you to pay using a gift card, cryptocurrency, or go to my website and pay. I need you to do it immediately, before the end of this phone call.’…