A visit to Homeland Center by Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday — educating residents about preventing identity theft — brought things full circle. Sunday is a Harrisburg native whose grandmother had lived in Homeland, and “I know this place inside and out,” he said.
“She loved her time here, and so we loved it as a family, and we appreciated all the amazing things that went on here for our family,” Sunday said. “It was a blessing for us as a family to have her here. Everybody was so kind to her. We have nothing but amazing memories of Homeland. For me, it’s wonderful to be here.”
Sunday’s visit coincided with Identity Theft Awareness Week. Residents jumped in with responses to questions and learned quickly how to avoid becoming victims.
AARP sponsored the program. Homeland was suggested as the host by a former Pennsylvania Secretary of Aging, now with AARP, who thought that Homeland’s large, welcoming Main Dining Room would be an ideal venue.
Barry Ramper II, President and CEO of Homeland, noted that the organization was established 159 years ago to support those in Harrisburg left widowed and orphaned by the Civil War.
“Today that same spirit and determination exist and is our foundation as an organization,” Ramper said. “The attorney general, just recently celebrating a year in office, is launching an initiative to not only benefit the senior citizens of Homeland Center and Homeland at Home, but also, most importantly, to benefit the senior citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
Homeland staff keep their eyes and ears open to help protect residents from scams, Ramper said.
Sunday, who addressed a packed room, had one key message for Homeland residents and staff. Identity theft can – and does — happen to anyone, and victims should report it immediately.
“Scams happen every single day, all day long from morning until night,” he said. “Many people become victims of scams, and so I don’t want anyone in here to forget, if it ever happens to you, that you have to tell someone. Don’t keep it to yourself. Share this information with someone. Because I don’t care if you’re 20, 80, 120, the money that you have earned is yours.”
You could throw your money in the fireplace, he said – adding that he certainly doesn’t advocate for that – but “that is your money, and no one has the right to take it from you.”
The Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection receives hundreds of scam complaints weekly, Sunday told the audience. Pennsylvanians lost $76 million to scammers in 2025, up from $45 million only the year before.
The first line of defense is never giving personal information to anyone unknown, because accessing personal information that gives scammers access to bank accounts is their top priority.
Scammers will send fake emails, pose as government officials, offer to modify loans, or pretend to be tech support, asking victims to click a link that provides access to bank accounts. Scammers seeking money directly will ask for wire transfers, bitcoin or other crypto, gift cards, credit cards, or cash.
The Attorney General’s new Elder Exploitation Section, launched in October 2025, focused on the financial exploitation of older Pennsylvanians.
David Shallcross, Director of the Senior Protection Unit Education, offered a mnemonic for remembering how to avoid victimization – SCAMS are Sudden, involve Contact from strangers, urgently want victims to Act now, need Money or information, and are often asked to be kept Secret.
Scammers often succeed through emotional triggers, from dating scams to threats from “government officials,” to “Grandma, I’m in trouble” calls. When Shallcross asked the audience how scammers might generate excitement, one astute resident called out, “Sweepstakes!”
“Because it’s that emotional trigger, it makes you not think clearly for the moment,” Shallcross said. “We want you to pause, and think, and then verify.”
To prevent victimization, he reminded Homeland visitors to let unfamiliar numbers go to voicemail, watch out for “clickbait” links, never provide information, pause and question requests for money through uncommon methods, and to make the calls to loved ones or officials needed to verify before complying.
“Verify” was the word of the day. When Sunday closed the nearly hourlong presentation, he asked residents what they needed to remember if any suspicious requests came their way, and they said in unison, “Verify!”
“We have so many seniors in Pennsylvania,” Sunday said. You have every right to protect yourself, and no one has a right to take advantage of you.”
To report possible victimization, Pennsylvanians can contact the Attorney General’s Senior Protection Unit, se*****@*************al.gov, 1-866-623-2137.
Homeland Center (www.homelandcenter.org) offers levels of care including personal care, memory care, skilled nursing and rehabilitation. Homeland at Home services include hospice, home care, home health and palliative care serving the diverse and changing needs of families throughout central Pennsylvania. For more information or to arrange a tour of Homeland Center, please call 717-221-7900.
