[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 83 (Wednesday, May 17, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1711-S1712]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 217--SUPPORTING THE DESIGNATION OF MAY 15, 2023, AS 
 ``NATIONAL SENIOR FRAUD AWARENESS DAY'' TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE 
INCREASING NUMBER OF FRAUDULENT SCAMS TARGETED AT SENIORS IN THE UNITED 
 STATES, TO ENCOURAGE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICIES TO PREVENT THOSE 
 SCAMS FROM HAPPENING, AND TO IMPROVE PROTECTIONS FROM THOSE SCAMS FOR 
                                SENIORS

  Ms. COLLINS (for herself and Ms. Sinema) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 217

       Whereas millions of individuals age 65 or older (referred 
     to in this preamble as ``seniors'') in the United States are 
     targeted by scams each year, including vacation scams, Social 
     Security impersonation scams and Internal Revenue Service 
     impersonation scams, other government agency impersonation 
     scams, veterans benefits scams, health and benefits scams, 
     sweepstakes scams, romance scams, computer tech support 
     scams, grandparent and person-in-need scams, debt collection 
     scams, home improvement scams, fraudulent investment schemes, 
     pet scams, job opportunity scams, and identity theft;
       Whereas other types of fraud perpetrated against seniors 
     include Medicare impersonation fraud, health care fraud, 
     health insurance fraud, counterfeit prescription drug fraud, 
     funeral and cemetery fraud, ``anti-aging'' product fraud, 
     telemarketing fraud, charity and disaster scams, internet 
     fraud, and cyberattacks;
       Whereas the Government Accountability Office has estimated 
     that seniors lose a staggering $2,900,000,000 each year to an 
     ever-growing array of financial exploitation schemes and 
     scams;
       Whereas, since 2013, the Fraud Hotline of the Special 
     Committee on Aging of the Senate has received more than 
     10,000 complaints reporting possible scams from individuals 
     in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the 
     Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;
       Whereas the ease with which criminals contact seniors 
     through the internet and telephone increases as more creative 
     schemes emerge and scammers employ new technologies, such as 
     artificial intelligence and ``spoofing'' of caller ID 
     information, to fraudulently gain the trust of seniors;
       Whereas, according to the Consumer Sentinel Network Data 
     Book 2022 released by

[[Page S1712]]

     the Federal Trade Commission, individuals age 60 or older 
     reported losing around $1,600,000,000 to fraud in 2022, with 
     a median loss for victims age 80 or older of $1,674, more 
     than 3 times the median amount lost by those victims between 
     the ages of 50 and 59;
       Whereas senior fraud is underreported by victims due to 
     shame, stigma, and lack of information about where to report 
     fraud; and
       Whereas May 15, 2023, is an appropriate day to establish as 
     ``National Senior Fraud Awareness Day'': Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the designation of May 15, 2023, as ``National 
     Senior Fraud Awareness Day'';
       (2) recognizes National Senior Fraud Awareness Day as an 
     opportunity to raise awareness about the barrage of scams 
     that individuals age 65 or older (referred to in this 
     resolution as ``seniors'') in the United States face in 
     person, by mail, on the phone, via text message, and online;
       (3) recognizes that law enforcement agencies, consumer 
     protection groups, area agencies on aging, and financial 
     institutions all play vital roles in--
       (A) preventing the proliferation of scams targeting seniors 
     in the United States; and
       (B) educating seniors about those scams;
       (4) encourages--
       (A) the implementation of policies to prevent scams 
     targeting seniors; and
       (B) the improvement of efforts to protect seniors from 
     those scams; and
       (5) honors the commitment and dedication of the individuals 
     and organizations that work tirelessly to fight against scams 
     targeting seniors.

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