[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1201 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1201

Supporting the designation of May 9, 2024, as ``National Scam Survivor 
                                 Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 6, 2024

Mr. Steil (for himself, Mr. Gottheimer, Mr. Meuser, Ms. Pettersen, Mr. 
   Van Orden, and Mr. Harder of California) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Supporting the designation of May 9, 2024, as ``National Scam Survivor 
                                 Day''.

Whereas approximately 2,600,000 Americans filed fraud reports with the Federal 
        Trade Commission in 2023, an increase of 200,000 from the previous year;
Whereas it is estimated that American citizens lost more than $10,000,000,000 to 
        scams in 2023;
Whereas the Better Business Bureau found that 52 percent of scam reports in 2023 
        resulted in a dollar loss for the individual, an increase of nearly 28 
        percent from the previous year;
Whereas scammers continue to develop new strategies to target American citizens, 
        including--

    (1) social media scams, where the Federal Trade Commission estimates 
approximately \1/4\ of successful scams originate;

    (2) small business scams such as fraudulent invoices, advertising 
offerings, and impersonations of government officials; and

    (3) scams using artificial intelligence to create false audio or video 
files;

Whereas targeting of at-risk individuals for scams is on the rise, including--

    (1) veterans, who reported $292,000,000 in losses to scams in 2022 
alone, according to the Federal Trade Commission, and who are often 
targeted by individuals posing as Department of Veterans Affairs officials 
or health care providers;

    (2) seniors, in which a study by the University of Michigan found that 
75 percent of Americans ages 50 to 80 experienced a scam attempt between 
2021 and 2023, and 30 percent fell victim to a scam; and

    (3) young adults, who are now losing more money to scams than any other 
age group through fraudulent employment offers, investment opportunities, 
and checks and money orders, according to the Better Business Bureau; and

Whereas there is a greater need for increasing awareness of scams, including--

    (1) providing consumers and business owners with knowledge and tools to 
avoid scams;

    (2) encouraging Americans to utilize Federal Government resources to 
identify and address potential scams; and

    (3) improving the ability of Federal law enforcement to discover, 
track, and halt scam operations to protect the American people: Now, 
therefore, be it

    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the designation of ``National Scam Survivor 
        Day'';
            (2) encourages increased public awareness of scams and 
        strategies to prevent or address scams;
            (3) recognizes the impact of scams on American citizens and 
        businesses;
            (4) recognizes the importance of improving public access to 
        scam prevention resources;
            (5) understands that encouraging scam survivors to tell 
        their story combats the stigma that may prevent individuals 
        from seeking the guidance and assistance they deserve;
            (6) supports the role of Federal and local law enforcement 
        entities in addressing scams;
            (7) urges a collaborative approach to supporting scam 
        survivors and prevent future scams among governmental, private, 
        and nonprofit organizations; and
            (8) encourages continued improvements to existing scam 
        prevention resource toolkits, support for scam survivors, and 
        law enforcement efforts to hold scammers accountable.
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