[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 124 (Tuesday, October 5, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S10460]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              PROTECTING OLDER AMERICANS FROM FRAUD MONTH

  Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the 
immediate consideration of Calendar No. 749, S. Res. 424.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 424) designating October 2004 as 
     Protecting Older Americans From Fraud Month.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, 
the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the 
table en bloc, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed 
in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 424) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 424

       Whereas perpetrators of financial crimes frequently target 
     their fraud schemes at older Americans because older 
     Americans possess a large percentage of the individual 
     household wealth in the United States;
       Whereas many older Americans have been divested of their 
     hard-earned life savings by fraud and frequently pay a high 
     emotional cost, losing not only their money, but also their 
     self-respect and dignity;
       Whereas perpetrators of fraud schemes against older 
     Americans reach their victims through the telephone, the 
     mail, or the Internet;
       Whereas the United States Postal Inspection Service 
     responded to nearly 80,000 fraud complaints, arrested 1,453 
     fraud offenders, secured nearly 1,387 fraud convictions, and 
     initiated 102 civil or administrative actions involving fraud 
     in fiscal year 2003;
       Whereas fraud investigations by the United States Postal 
     Inspection Service in fiscal year 2003 resulted in nearly 
     $1,500,000,000 in court-ordered and voluntary restitution 
     payments;
       Whereas older Americans are often the disproportionate 
     targets of cross-border fraud, including prize promotions, 
     sweepstakes scams, foreign money offers, advance-fee loans, 
     and foreign lotteries, and file 20 percent of all cross-
     border fraud complaints;
       Whereas there was an 80 percent increase in 2003 of reports 
     of Internet fraud targeting older Americans, and the amount 
     of money lost by older Americans to Internet fraud increased 
     from $2,690,618 in 2002 to $12,818,313 in 2003, a 375 percent 
     increase in money lost;
       Whereas the Federal Trade Commission reports that 
     27,300,000 people in the United States have been victims of 
     identity theft in the last 5 years, including 9,900,000 
     people in the last year alone, and that identity theft has 
     cost businesses and financial institutions nearly 
     $48,000,000,000, in addition to the reported $5,000,000,000 
     in out-of-pocket expenses incurred by consumer fraud victims;
       Whereas there was a 200 percent increase in 2002 of 
     identity theft targeting older Americans, and credit card 
     fraud is perpetrated against older Americans at a higher rate 
     than the general population of the United States;
       Whereas the Federal Trade Commission continues to 
     successfully implement its do-not-call registry, with 60 
     percent of consumers surveyed stating that they registered 
     and 80 percent of the registered consumers surveyed reporting 
     fewer calls, but more older Americans need to be aware that 
     the do-not-call registry is available;
       Whereas fraud schemes targeting older Americans have caused 
     losses estimated at millions of dollars a year, and have cost 
     some older Americans their homes;
       Whereas consumer awareness is the best protection from 
     telemarketing, mail, Internet, and identity fraud schemes, 
     and the Federal Trade Commission and the United States Postal 
     Inspection Service have resources available to educate and 
     assist the public; and
       Whereas it is vital to increase public awareness of the 
     enormous impact that fraud has on older Americans and to 
     educate the public, older Americans, their families, and 
     their caregivers about a wide array of fraud schemes, such as 
     telemarketing, mail, Internet, and identity fraud, and how to 
     report suspected fraud to the appropriate authorities: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates October 2004 as ``Protecting Older Americans 
     From Fraud Month''; and
       (2) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
     calling on the people of the United States to observe the 
     month with appropriate activities and programs that--
       (A) prevent the purveyors of telemarketing, mail, Internet, 
     and identity fraud from victimizing the people of the United 
     States; and
       (B) educate and inform the public, older Americans, their 
     families, and their caregivers about a number of financial 
     crimes, such as telemarketing, mail, Internet, and identity 
     fraud.

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