TRIAD Presents 6 Annual Thrive Beyond 55 Conference th By: Orange County Communications Department
Late last month, Orange County Triad, a program of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, conducted their sixth annual Thrive Beyond 55 conference, hosted by Lake of the Woods Church. The free conference welcomed more than 200 attendees, who enjoyed the informative vendors, delicious lunch, and memorable speakers the event has become known for. The mission of the conference aligns with that of Triad - to protect seniors through the proactive collaboration of law enforcement, citizens, and community resources.
The lead off presentation was made by Vickye Parker, who provided actionable tips about how to “Keep the Keys” and maintain driving independence as one ages. Ms. Parker is a Traffic Safety Specialist & Lead Instructor for AAA’s Driver Improvement Program, with personal experiences that reinforce the importance of highway safety. Her talk highlighted ways an individual can adapt their driving as they age, how medications may impact driving, and more. Her captivating delivery ensured attendees got plenty of good information out of the hour. In fact, a line of those interested in signing up to take an upcoming driving class extended across the facility in the time between speakers! More information is available on the AAA website.
Next, the speaker lineup shifted to cover a rather heavy, but important, topic. The next two speakers provided unrivaled insight into scam prevention and the mindset of a scammer, with a focus on those targeting seniors. The first was Kate Kleinert, a scam survivor who emerged from considerable hardship caused by an online romance scam and is now thriving and using her story to prevent further victimization. Her brave testimony was both emotionally powerful and informative. She noted the importance of making social media platforms “private” or restricted to real-world friends only. “[I was] not looking for romance,” she said, but her “[social media] was open to the world... and the world was looking.” In Mrs. Kleinert’s case, the scammer impersonated an overseas doctor, and endeared himself to her over many months of communication. Especially since
the scam took place during the pandemic, the feeling of genuinely connecting with another person was very powerful. Romance (and friendship) scams often use long-term trust development and psychological tactics to commit crime. She noted that the scammer wanted to communicate only through Google Chat or WhatsApp at first, and mentioned that she now knows those platforms are less trackable than others. While the platform of choice may change from scam to scam, a frequent theme to look out for is encouraging the use of a particular means of communication at the exclusion of others. Scammers use this tactic to prevent victims from using outside sources to recognize the scam or seek help. The scammer found reasons Mrs. Kleinert to send gift cards, inititially framed as emergency funds for his kids overseas. The scam peaked during what she called “the night that never ended.” In an elaborate attempt to steal more money from her, the scammer claimed he would be flying in to visit her. When he didn’t arrive, she was distressed, but received a call from his “lawyer”(actually another scammer) pressuring her to deliver thousands of dollars in bail money. The subsequent conversations OCI May 2026
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