[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 281 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 281

  Designating the week beginning August 25, 2002, as ``National Fraud 
               Against Senior Citizens Awareness Week''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 5, 2002

 Mr. Levin (for himself, Ms. Collins, Mrs. Clinton, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. 
 Bayh, Mr. Corzine, Mr. Specter, Mr. Smith of Oregon, Mr. Inouye, Ms. 
   Landrieu, Mr. Breaux, Mr. Torricelli, Mr. Bunning, Mr. Akaka, Mr. 
 Hagel, Mr. Craig, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Durbin, and Mr. Campbell) submitted 
 the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
                               Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Designating the week beginning August 25, 2002, as ``National Fraud 
               Against Senior Citizens Awareness Week''.

Whereas perpetrators of mail, telemarketing, and Internet fraud frequently 
        target their schemes at senior citizens because seniors are often 
        vulnerable and trusting people;
Whereas, as victims of such schemes, many senior citizens have been robbed of 
        their hard-earned life savings and frequently pay an emotional cost, 
        losing not only their money, but also their self-respect and dignity;
Whereas perpetrators of fraudulent schemes against American seniors often 
        operate outside the United States, reaching their victims through the 
        mail, telephone lines, and the Internet;
Whereas the Deceptive Mail Prevention and Enforcement Act increased the power of 
        the United States Postal Service to protect consumers against those who 
        use deceptive mailings featuring games of chance, sweepstakes, skill 
        contests, and facsimile checks;
Whereas the Postal Inspection Service responded to 66,000 mail fraud complaints, 
        arrested 1,691 mail fraud offenders, convicted 1,477 such offenders, and 
        initiated 642 civil or administrative actions in fiscal year 2001;
Whereas mail fraud investigations by the Postal Inspection Service in fiscal 
        year 2001 resulted in over $1,200,000,000 in court-ordered and voluntary 
        restitution payments;
Whereas the Postal Inspection Service, in an effort to curb cross-border fraud, 
        is involved in 3 major fraud task forces with law enforcement officials 
        in Canada, namely, Project Colt in Montreal, The Strategic Partnership 
        in Toronto, and Project Emptor in Vancouver;
Whereas consumer awareness is the best protection from fraudulent schemes; and
Whereas it is vital to increase public awareness of the enormous impact that 
        fraud has on senior citizens in the United States, and to educate the 
        public, senior citizens, their families, and their caregivers about the 
        signs of fraudulent activities and how to report suspected fraudulent 
        activities to the appropriate authorities: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates the week beginning August 25, 2002, as 
        ``National Fraud Against Senior Citizens Awareness Week''; and
            (2) requests the President to issue a proclamation calling 
        on the people of the United States to observe the week with 
        appropriate activities and programs to--
                    (A) prevent the purveyors of fraud from victimizing 
                senior citizens in the United States; and
                    (B) educate and inform the public, senior citizens, 
                their families, and their caregivers about fraud 
                perpetrated through mail, telemarketing, and the 
                Internet.
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