Nick Gerhart

Nick Gerhart

The commissioner of the Iowa Insurance Division is encouraging Iowans to check out a traveling forum that’s designed to protect consumers from scam artists. Nick Gerhart told KCRG-TV his office receives up to 6,000 inquiries a year and a lot of them deal with fraud complaints.

“When people don’t file those complaints, we don’t know that it’s happening, Gerhart said. “Fraud is very under reported. People don’t want to admit when they’re a victim.” Gerhart estimates more than 7 million Americans are conned each year. He said scammers take about $3 billion, mostly targeting those 60 and older.

The Iowa Fraud Fighters forum offers information on a variety of schemes happening in the state. The traveling forum will stop at Luther College in Decorah Tuesday and at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Coralville next Monday (November 16). Learn more about it at IowaFraudFighters.gov.