September 16, 2026 – Chicopee, Massachusetts – Fifteen seniors recently participated in the Hampden District Attorney’s Office Education Against Senior Exploitation (EASE) program at Chicopee’s River Mills Center.

Led by Assistant District Attorney Nina Vivenzio, EASE addresses the senior population of Hampden County regarding scams, financial exploitation, and physical abuse.

Vivenzio, who specializes in elder abuse, spoke to the group in Chicopee about protecting themselves against different types of scams, which often come through phone calls, text messages, and emails.

One attendee asked if they could use a reverse phone number lookup to determine the origin of a call that came from a spoofed phone number.

“Spoofed numbers appear on caller ID to be coming from a legitimate source but really aren’t. They are scammers pretending to be with the authentic entity,” said Vivenzio. “Scammers do this to fool recipients into believing the caller is authentic and letting their guard down. Unfortunately, ordinary reverse lookup tools available to the public will not show the actual phone data and information behind the call, just the spoofed, fake number and related information.”

She went on to say that if anyone were to receive a call stating to be from a government agency, utility company, financial institution, charity, and so on, it is crucial to not provide personal information. Instead, she said people can research the real number by looking it up through a trusted source online, or Yellow Pages, and call the entity directly to confirm the legitimacy of the call.

“Don’t simply redial, which might connect you with the scammer,” Vivenzio said. “Government agencies such as the IRS, Social Security Administration, Medicare, or similar, do not typically contact consumers directly by phone to discuss an issue. Do not share your information with someone who [claims] to be from a government agency without confirming they are who they claim to be. Go directly to the source by calling the agency directly using a number available to the public.”

Attendees also asked about whether cell phone numbers could be registered on the National Do Not Call Registry, which they can be. The National Do Not Call Registry can be reached at 888-382-1222.

“Education is one of our strongest tools in protecting seniors from exploitation,” said Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni. “Through our EASE program, we are helping seniors recognize scams and know how to protect themselves.”

He continued, “I thank ADA Nina Vivenzio for traveling to senior centers and Councils on Aging throughout Hampden County to share this important information and empower our seniors to stay safe.”