06/14/2026
Last week, North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall spoke to a full house at the Peggy M. Seegars Senior Center in Goldsboro, NC.
Secretary Marshall was one of the featured speakers at the "Elder Abuse, Scam & Fraud Awareness Symposium" organized by Wayne County's Services on Aging.
"It's an honor to be here with you as we mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Month and prepare to mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15th," she said. "But I want us to keep that same focus on protecting seniors every day of the year."
Secretary Marshall then explained to attendees that she and her agency has jurisdiction over specific areas of fraud, including investment and charity fraud, notary fraud and counterfeit trademarks. She warned attendees to be mindful of counterfeit prescription drugs and THC-infused gummies packaged to look like popular snack foods. She also held up an example of a counterfeited hat promoting the Atlanta Braves that had been seized by her trademark enforcement agents. See if you can spot a huge clue that the hat is a counterfeit. (Hint: What sport do the Atlanta Braves play?)
If you suspect you may have been the victim of an investment, charity, notary or counterfeit trademark fraud, you can file a complaint at https://www.sosnc.gov/forms/by_title/_Tip_And_Complaint.
