[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 72 (Wednesday, June 5, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5055-S5056]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STATEMENTS ON SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
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SENATE RESOLUTION 281--DESIGNATING THE WEEK BEGINNING AUGUST 25, 2002,
AS ``NATIONAL FRAUD AGAINST SENIOR CITIZENS AWARENESS WEEK''
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:
S. Res. 281
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.
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I rise today to submit a resolution
designating the week beginning August 25, 2002, as ``National Fraud
Against Senior Citizens Awareness Week.'' This legislation will bring
increased awareness to mail, Internet and telemarketing schemes that
frequently target elderly Americans. These schemes rob America's
seniors not only of their hard-earned savings, but also of their self
respect and dignity. Recognizing that increased awareness, especially
on the part of seniors, their families and caregivers, is the best
defense, this resolution highlights the efforts being made to protect
our nation's elderly.
Last June, the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations held two days
of hearings that focused on the growing problem of Internet, mail and
telemarketing fraud. The Subcommittee found that in this age of
international communications, foreign countries have unfortunately
become a major point of origin for lottery, sweepstakes, and advance-
fee-for-loan scams that prey upon Americans through telemarketing.
Worse yet, the Subcommittee found that such schemes often specifically
target the elderly, who are often the most vulnerable and least able to
afford being defrauded.
Last year, alone, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, USPIS,
responded to 66,000 mail fraud complaints, arrested nearly 1700 mail
fraud offenders, and convicted nearly 1500 such offenders. Moreover,
mail fraud investigations resulted in over $1.2 billion in court-
ordered restitution and voluntary restitution payments.
The USPIS has joined with the Senior Action Coalition, a grassroots
multi-agency organization, to develop a national multi-media fraud
prevention campaign. The campaign will include public service
announcements as well as newspaper advertisements, mailing inserts and
poster displays. Designating National Fraud Against Senior Citizen
Awareness Week will highlight these efforts and help reach a wide
segment of the elderly population and those who care for them.
I would like to thank Senator Susan Collins for cosponsoring this
legislation as well as all of the other original cosponsors. I hope the
rest of my colleagues will consider cosponsoring this resolution and
that we can enact it well before the August recess so we can
commemorate the week for the first time this year.
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I join Senator Levin in submitting a
resolution that will designate the week of August 25, 2002, as National
Fraud Against Senior Citizens Awareness Week. This designation of this
week will increase public awareness of mail, Internet and telemarketing
schemes that target elderly Americans. It is through increased
awareness on the part of seniors, their families, and their caregivers
that such schemes, which rob seniors not only of their hard-earned
savings but of their dignity and self respect, can best be prevented.
This kind of fraud, unfortunately, is pervasive. Last year alone, the
U.S. Postal Inspection Service responded to 66,000 mail fraud
complaints, arrested nearly 1,700 mail fraud offenders, and secured
nearly 1,500 convictions.
The elderly are often especially vulnerable, and they are frequently
among the least able to afford being defrauded. The AARP, the National
Association of Attorneys General, and the Federal Trade Commission have
estimated that 85 percent of the victims of telemarketing fraud are age
65 or older.
[[Page S5056]]
During hearings of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations that I
chaired last June on mail, Internet and telemarketing fraud, several
elderly witnesses testified about how they had been defrauded of
thousands of dollars and the resulting hardships caused by the loss of
their life savings.
Mrs. Ann Hersom of Acton, for example, testified that her 80-year-old
husband, formerly a successful businessman, had fallen prey to devious
telemarketers and clever mail solicitations. She estimated that he lost
$20,000 to these schemes, and described how devastating these losses
had been to their family.
The telemarketing fraud industry is a highly mobile, sophisticated
racket that very often involves ``boiler rooms'' in which hundreds of
people make high pressure calls, sometimes 16 hours a day, seven days a
week. These fraudulent telemarketers often gear their pitches to
elderly citizens living alone and fearful of not having sufficient
funds for their remaining years. In fact, it appears that some
unscrupulous telemarketers may select their elderly victims by using
lists to target those who have recently placed a spouse in a nursing
home. Thus, the friendship and compassion these telemarketers appear to
offer come when the elderly are particularly vulnerable to such
enticements.
Foreign countries have unfortunately become a source of entry for
lottery, sweepstakes and advance-fee-for-loan scams that prey upon
Americans through direct mail and telemarketing. According to Federal
Trade Commission figures, U.S. consumers filed nearly 13,000 complaints
against foreign companies during calendar year 2001. Similarly, the
dollar value of losses reported by consumers against these companies is
nearly $25 million. In the first quarter of 2002, U.S. consumers have
filed nearly 7,000 complaints against foreign companies.
How do we fight such fraud? The first line of defense against mail,
Internet and telemarketing fraud is to promote public awareness of the
dangers of such crimes, the types of schemes in which criminals are
likely to engage, and what consumers can do to report fraudulent
overtures and help law enforcement officials catch up with the con
artists.
National Fraud Against Senior Citizens Week is designed to do just
that. During the week of August 25, 2002, the U.S. Postal Inspection
Service, together with the Senior Action Coalition, a grassroots multi-
agency organization based in Pittsburgh, will launch a national multi-
media fraud prevention campaign. The campaign will be kicked off with
events in Washington, DC, Maine, and elsewhere.
The campaign will include radio and television public service
announcements by national spokesperson Betty White. On Sunday, August
25, announcements in newspapers will run in the 13 states that recorded
the most complaints of fraud by seniors, including Maine. Poster
displays highlighting the problem and what seniors and their caregivers
can do to protect themselves and report fraud will be displayed in post
office lobbies and other public areas, and mailers are planned to be
sent to seniors. Designating National Fraud Against Senior Citizens
Awareness Week will help reach a wide segment of America's elderly and
those who care for them with the time-honored advice of: ``If it sounds
too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true.''
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