Photo: Suzanne Sausville/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Hundreds of seniors gathered at Boston’s City Hall on Friday for the annual Holiday Connections phone bank.
The AgeStrong Commission and AT&T hosted the event that allows seniors to connect with loved ones overseas free of charge.
More than a dozen old-fashioned telephones were set up in a quiet back room of the hall. Age Strong commissioner Emily Shea said that they can make more than a thousand calls, to places like China Albania, and Haiti.
“[The program] is about people coming together and whether you are connecting with someone on the phone or if you are connecting with people in the activities,” Shea said.
“I usually call Canada, London, Barbados, but I just made a couple calls to Barbados [today],” Sandra, who participated in the event, said.
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In addition to the phone bank, participants were treated to food, photo booths, and workshops on how to use modern technology and prevent scams.
Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox warned people in attendance about scams.
“We live in a world that is so much smaller today due to all this technology, and when the world is smaller, sometimes people are closer to you that don’t always have your best interests at heart,” Cox said.
Boston Police officers reminded those in attendance that the IRS or your bank will never ask you for personal information over the phone or for your social security number, which be a sign of a scam.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Suzanne Sausville (@WBZSausville) reports.