Pine State News

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) introduced a bipartisan resolution supporting the designation of May 15, 2023, as “National Senior Fraud Awareness Day.” On Wednesday, the resolution unanimously passed the Senate.

Each year, seniors are robbed of nearly $3 billion through an ever growing array of scams, ranging from Social Security impersonation scams to sweepstakes scams to grandparent scams.

“Raising awareness about fraud is key to protecting seniors’ hard-earned savings, particularly among older Americans,” said Senator Collins. “We have made substantial progress to protect seniors, and we must not relent in our efforts to stop con artists. By raising awareness, our resolution will help prevent seniors from becoming victims of fraud.”

The Senators’ resolution raises awareness about the increasing number of fraudulent schemes targeting seniors, encourages the implementation of policies to prevent those schemes, and recognizes the individuals and organizations who work tirelessly to counteract scams.

Over a period of seven years while serving as Chairman and Ranking Member of the Aging Committee, Senator Collins held 25 hearings on a wide variety of scams defrauding seniors. The Aging Committee also maintains a toll-free Fraud Hotline (1-855-303-9470), which serves as a resource for seniors and others affected by scams. Since the Fraud Hotline’s inception in 2013, more than 10,000 individuals from all 50 states have contacted the hotline to report a possible scam. 

Click HERE to read the bill text.

Original source can be found here.