Kerby Centre says education key to avoiding Ponzi fraudsters

A couple peddling a Ponzi scheme found a victim in the Kerby Centre, but the organization says it is open to the public and has no plans to tighten security.

Juliet Raza, 83, says she'll never forget the middle-aged, well-dressed couple who approached her at the Kerby Centre while she was having tea in the restaurant.

"They looked like really decent people, I thought they were members of Kerby Centre myself," she said. "They were really smooth, they knew how to go about their business."

The man introduced himself as an investment banker and asked her where she banked, Raza recalled. She eventually lost $80,000 in the scheme masterminded by Gary Sorenson and Milowe Brost, who were sentenced this week to 12 years in prision.

Open to the public

Raza says she could have been solicited anywhere and doesn't blame the Kerby Centre. But it does raise questions about security at the popular hang-out for people over 55 years old.

CEO Luanne Whitmarsh says they don't screen anyone because the Kerby Centre is open to the public

"If we have people who become known to us as unscrupulous for whatever reason, then we deal with it, but we are a welcoming organization and we wouldn't judge anybody at this stage," she said.

Whitmarsh says instead they try to teach members how to avoid falling prey to scams.

"We feel horrible that this person — and all the other people — were taken advantage by some real scammers. In the future we're not really sure what we would do except continue what we have done, which is the education, bringing forth those issues. So if we hear of the newest scam going around we publish it, we talk about it, we put it up on our social media and inside the building as well."

Whitemarsh says they also follow up on complaints if people have concerns about inappropriate or unscrupulous behavior.