Those two words describe today’s “scammers” who prey upon Iowans and steal precious annuities, life savings and more.

One Iowa woman lost her life savings of $500,000 to one unscrupulous fraudster who did not leave a paper trail, making recovery and prosecution impossible. Another individual lost $450,000. Again, no paper trail.

Those tragic examples, among others, were but one of several key messages conveyed and sponsored by the Iowa Department of Insurance and Financial Services (IDIFS), the Iowa Attorney General office (IAG) and AARP Iowa (formerly American Association of Retired Persons) Wednesday at the Marshalltown Community College’s (MCC’s) Conference Center.

Marshalltown was the 14th community visited as part of a 18-community “Stop the Scammers” fraud education roadshow.

T-R PHOTO BY MIKE DONAHEY — A large "Stop the Scammers" poster is shown at Marshalltown Community College's Conference Center Wednesday. The event informed Iowans about scams and how to prevent them. It was co-sponsored by AARP Iowa, the Iowa Attorney General's Office and the Iowa Department of Insurance and Financial Services.

Anyone can be a victim of a scam, although widows, widowers and those living alone are frequently targeted.

“I get asked many times, ‘how to scams work,’ said Al Perales, an investigator and 18-year veteran with IDIFS. “They understand us. They understand human nature.”

Perales said people fear being arrested, so scammers frequently use that threat in a bogus manner to convince the victim to pay money to prevent such an “arrest.” The scammers request payments in the form of bitcoin or gift cards so no paper trail exists.

Home repair scams are common when there has been a damaging weather event, such as flood or tornado. Scammers pretending to be contractors or home repair specialists selling home evaluations and repairs before disappearing without providing the services that were paid for.

Importantly, Perales and common-sense strategies exemplified by the principles of “Learn, Prevent and Protect” can be used to stop scammers.

Other fraud prevention tips:

Don’t be a courtesy victim, It is OK to say no and hang up.

Check out anyone you don’t recognize. Always contact the IDIFS at 877-955-1212 to double check the financial professional and the investment offer is legitimate.

Never judge a person’s integrity by the sound of his or her voice. Scammers know how to sound professional and friendly to gain trust.

Take your time, Take the time one needs to do research, get advice and learn more about investing.

Be wary of unsolicited offers. Be careful if you can’t find current information about their company. If it sounds too good to be true, it is probably neither good nor true.

“As scammers grow more sophisticated in their tactics, we are working around the clock to protect Iowans and slam the scam,” Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird said in a statement preceding the event. “Scammers are manipulative, and they take advantage of ‘Iowa nice’.”

AARP Iowa Brad Anderson also shared a statement beforehand.

“Scammers are more sophisticated than ever at using the Internet and other digital tools to take advantage of Iowans,” he said. “Understanding the current tactics these fraudsters are using is the key to avoiding them.”

The lessons given on preventing fraud were not lost on some of the approximately 25 attendees, several of whom asked thought-provoking following the presentations. IDIFS director Doug Ommen thanked the audience for their attention and questions.

Other communities included for the “Stop the Scammers” event are Ames, Carroll, Cedar Rapids, Coralville, Council Bluffs, Creston, Mason City, Mt. Pleasant, Newton, Ottumwa, Sioux City and Waterloo.

If Iowans are suspicious of a scam, they should contact the IAGO at 888-777-4590 or www.attorneygeneral.gov/for-consumers. If one would like to schedule a free fraud presentation talk for your community or group, contact 515-697-1000 or email ia@aarp.org.