On the afternoon of October 25, a seminar titled “Understanding Seniors’ Rights” was held at the Confucius Plaza Community Room in Manhattan’s Chinatown. This event was a collaborative effort by the East Asia Alliance (EAA), the University Neighborhood Housing Program, and Fuhong Healthcare, aimed at helping seniors in the community understand their rights and learn to identify and prevent common scams. The seminar drew a crowd of over 60 participants, with every seat filled. Water Lilies Food sponsored the event.
Sisi Yam, a board member of the East Asia Alliance, emphasized the growing importance of protecting seniors’ rights in today’s society. “This seminar is designed to enhance seniors’ understanding of their rights and help them navigate various social welfare resources while improving their skills in scam prevention,” she stated. “I hope seniors will actively participate in similar seminars to gain relevant information, strengthen their self-protection awareness, and secure a better quality of life in their later years.”
The seminar featured guest speaker Yanling Chen, an equitable access officer from the nonprofit health organization Raising Health. She provided insights into the various services offered by her organization, helping seniors and their families better understand community resources and social welfare, thus improving their quality of life.
Chen also detailed how to identify and prevent common scams, focusing particularly on phishing scams that often target the elderly. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s 2023 Internet Crime Report, seniors aged 60 and older lose at least $3.4 billion annually to scams, making them the most affected age group. In 2023 alone, more than $1 billion was reported lost by seniors due to various scams.
