One of New York's U.S. senators is proposing measures to better protect seniors from the grinches out to steal their money through scams this holiday season.
Older people in the state lost more than $250 million to scams last year, according to the FBI. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said her new bill demands stronger safeguards to keep that from happening.
“Every one of us has received those phone calls, emails, texts from someone pretending to be a government agency, a business or even a loved one, particularly grandchildren,” she said at a recent press conference. “It's not an inconvenience. It's not something to be embarrassed about. It is a sophisticated criminal network personally targeting you.”
The National Strategy for Combating Scams Act would task the FBI with devising a cross-agency plan to fight scams, which the agency estimates cost Americans $16.6 billion in 2024. Gillibrand said a federal approach is necessary because scams often happen online and target victims across state lines.
According to a U.S. Government Accountability Office analysis, at least 13 federal agencies work to counter scams. They mostly work independently, and each one has its own mandate and authorities. The legislation would require the FBI to create a working group with the heads of several agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of State, and the Department of Health and Human Services.
AARP New York State Director Beth Finkel said the legislation has long been needed to protect older adults, who tend to be the victims of scams due to a combination of financial and social factors.
“Scammers know that you have saved all of your lives, and that's why they come after you,” she said. “And on top of that, somebody calls us, a scammer, and it's hard for us to hang up on somebody. Your mom and dad taught you to be very polite. Well, this is one time, it's like, ‘Hang up.’ It's OK. It's not not being civil. It's doing the right thing for yourself and protecting yourself.”
The new working group established by the law would be tasked with evaluating scams' financial risks to victims, as well as the implications for national and economic security. The group would also have to review methods for preventing scams, define each agency’s responsibilities and examine ways federal officials could work with local governments to support victim recovery.
