New York Congressman Dan Goldman, along with Illinois Congresswoman Robin Kelly and Ohio Congressman Troy Balderson, have jointly proposed the “Protecting Seniors from Emergency Scams Act” in the U.S. Congress. The act calls for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to establish a portal for consumers to search for fraud activities by region and access contact information for law enforcement agencies and adult protective service organizations.
The bill also requires the FTC to collaborate with media and law enforcement agencies to disseminate relevant information to seniors and their caregivers.
Congressman Goldman stated in a press release, “Every year, American seniors lose billions of hard-earned dollars to predatory scammers, who target vulnerable elderly individuals.” He emphasized the need for Congress to intensify efforts to ensure that consumer protection agencies prioritize combating fraud against seniors and develop policies to hold scammers accountable.
Goldman pointed out that seniors across the United States lost $3.4 billion to scams last year.
The “Protecting Seniors from Emergency Scams Act” also mandates that the FTC report to Congress detailing specific scams targeting seniors, the prevalence of fraudulent activities, and potential solutions to help seniors identify scams.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, individuals can identify scams based on the following 4 signs:
(1) Scammers often impersonate government agencies, well-known companies in industries like technology, utilities, or charities.
(2) Scammers typically claim individuals are in trouble, have won prizes, face emergencies with family members, have computer viruses, or assert there are issues with personal accounts that require verification.
(3) Scammers usually demand immediate response, preventing individuals from hanging up or taking time to think.
(4) Scammers often request payment in a “specific” manner, such as through cryptocurrency, wire transfers via MoneyGram or Western Union, money transfer apps, or by asking individuals to use gift cards for payment and disclose the card’s numbers on the back to the scammer.