[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 65 (Thursday, April 15, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E404]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              PROTECTING SENIORS FROM EMERGENCY SCAMS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 14, 2021

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 446, the 
``Protecting Seniors from Emergency Scams Act,'' which requires the 
Federal Trade Commission to report on, and increase awareness 
regarding, scams targeting older adults.
  The FTC must: report on the number and type of scams that target 
older adults and provide policy recommendations to prevent such scams; 
revise the commission's web portal with current information about such 
scams, including contact information for law enforcement and protective 
services agencies; and coordinate with media outlets and law 
enforcement to disseminate such information.
  Our seniors should not be victims of scams during coronavirus 
pandemic.
  This bipartisan legislation will help protect seniors from fraud 
during this public health crisis and prevent emergency-related scams in 
the future.
  Every year scam artists target senior citizens resulting in financial 
losses between $2 billion and $12 billion, and now during the COVID-19 
pandemic, these scammers are using fear and uncertainty to take 
advantage of our vulnerable populations.
  Our seniors have borne the brunt of this pandemic in high infection 
rates and deaths.
  Now many seniors are being targeted by scammers who prey on their 
COVID-19 fears.
  We must pass this bill and work to educate our seniors and those who 
care for them to look out for scams.
  There is a moral obligation to stop these con artists by empowering 
seniors with facts and information while aggressively targeting 
criminals with all the resources available through the Federal Trade 
Commission.
  Throughout the pandemic, uncertainty has led to many Houstonians 
falling victim to scam callers especially vulnerable populations like 
seniors.
  Houston police and the Harris County District Attorney have made an 
arrest in an international cyber-scam that bilked unsuspecting, mostly 
elderly victims out of more than $1 million.
  One victim of the scam, Asuncion Peppers, 74, a retired medical 
technician knows that first hand; She was bilked out of her life 
savings.
  Hackers contacted Ms. Peppers on Facebook, pretending to be one of 
her Facebook friends.
  She was told she was eligible for a government grant of almost one 
million dollars and all she had to do was send a check to pay taxes.
  Investigators believes the scammers were operating from Nigeria, 
defrauding senior citizens in the U.S. and around the world.
  Before Peppers realized she was being conned, she sent checks 
totaling $87,000 hard-earned money.
  She said that she worked three jobs to build her life savings.
  In her case the person who received the funds was 65-year-old Joe 
Reyes, who washed the funds through several local banks.
  Reyes was receiving funds from scams and then converting them into 
Bitcoin to send back to the scammers.
  Peppers and her husband are just two of 38 victims bilked out of more 
than $1.3 million before the fraud was discovered.
  Reyes is now charged with money laundering and other charges that 
could send him to prison for years.
  Our seniors need our help to be physically and financial safe during 
COVID.
  The Protecting Seniors from Emergency Scams Act is endorsed by the 
Elder Justice Coalition; American Society on Aging; and the National 
Adult Protective Services Association.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

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