SENATE RESOLUTION 210--SUPPORTING THE DESIGNATION OF MAY 15, 2019, AS ``NATIONAL SENIOR FRAUD AWARENESS DAY'' TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE INCREASING NUMBER OF FRAUDULENT SCHEMES TARGETING SENIORS...; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 80
(Senate - May 14, 2019)
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[Page S2836]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE RESOLUTION 210--SUPPORTING THE DESIGNATION OF MAY 15, 2019, AS
``NATIONAL SENIOR FRAUD AWARENESS DAY'' TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE
INCREASING NUMBER OF FRAUDULENT SCHEMES TARGETING SENIORS IN THE UNITED
STATES, TO ENCOURAGE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICIES TO PREVENT THOSE
SCHEMES, AND TO IMPROVE PROTECTIONS FROM THOSE SCHEMES FOR SENIORS
Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Mr. Casey, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Jones, Mr. Scott
of Florida, Ms. Rosen, Ms. McSally, Ms. Warren, and Ms. Sinema)
submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:
S. Res. 210
Whereas, in 2035, there will be an estimated 78,000,000
individuals age 65 or older in the United States (referred to
in this preamble as ``seniors''), compared to an estimated
76,700,000 individuals under the age of 18;
Whereas senior fraud is a growing concern as millions of
seniors in the United States are targeted by scams each year,
including Internal Revenue Service impersonation scams,
identify theft or identity fraud involving Social Security
benefits and other identity theft, sweepstakes and lottery
scams, grandparent scams, computer tech support scams,
romance scams, work-at-home scams, charity scams, home
improvement scams, and fraudulent investment schemes;
Whereas other types of fraud perpetrated against seniors
include health care fraud, health insurance fraud,
counterfeit prescription drug fraud, funeral and cemetery
fraud, ``anti-aging'' product fraud, telemarketing fraud, and
internet fraud;
Whereas the Government Accountability Office has estimated
that seniors lose a staggering $2,900,000,000 each year to an
ever-growing array of financial exploitation schemes and
scams;
Whereas, since 2013, the fraud hotline of the Special
Committee on Aging of the Senate has received more than 8,200
complaints reporting possible scams from individuals in all
50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico;
Whereas the ease with which criminals contact seniors
through the internet and telephone increases as more creative
schemes emerge;
Whereas, according to the Consumer Sentinel Network Data
Book 2018, released by the Federal Trade Commission, people
age 60 or older were defrauded of approximately $391,000,000
in 2018, with the median loss to defrauded victims age 80 or
older averaging $1,700 per person, more than double the
average amount lost by victims between the ages of 50 and 59;
Whereas senior fraud is underreported by victims due to
embarrassment and lack of information about where to report
fraud; and
Whereas May 15, 2019, is an appropriate day to establish as
``National Senior Fraud Awareness Day'': Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) supports the designation of May 15, 2019, as ``National
Senior Fraud Awareness Day'';
(2) recognizes National Senior Fraud Awareness Day as an
opportunity to raise awareness about the barrage of scams
that individuals age 65 or older in the United States
(referred to in this resolution as ``seniors'') face in
person, by mail, on the phone, and online;
(3) recognizes that law enforcement, consumer protection
groups, area agencies on aging, and financial institutions
all play vital roles in preventing scams targeting seniors
and educating seniors about those scams;
(4) encourages implementation of policies to prevent scams
targeting seniors and to improve measures to protect seniors
from those scams; and
(5) honors the commitment and dedication of the individuals
and organizations that work tirelessly to fight against scams
targeting seniors.
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