Fraud and Scam Reduction Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding. I am very proud that the next three bills are bills that have come out of the subcommittee that I chair on Consumer Protection and Commerce. I absolutely want to thank all of the authors of the legislation, Representatives Blunt Rochester and Walberg; and the authors of the legislation that was incorporated into this bill, Representatives Deutch and Lujan, for their work on the Seniors Fraud Prevention Act; Representatives Kelly and Marshall for the Protecting Seniors from Emergency Scams Act; and Representatives Lujan and Gianforte for the Protecting Indian Tribes from Scams Act; and Representatives O'Halleran and Hudson for the FTC Collaboration Act.

Some of our most vulnerable fellow Americans have been the targets and the victims of fraud and scams during the COVID-19 pandemic. Scammers especially target seniors. They exploit fear or confusion during crises and emergencies and prey on seniors' trust and assumption that they will be too embarrassed to finally report scams to the relevant authorities. In 2018 alone, seniors lost almost $400 million to fraud.

Another often overlooked target of fraud and scams are the Indian Tribes and Tribal members. We urgently need a better understanding of fraud targeting these communities.

This legislation tackles these problems. It establishes a new office that focuses on the prevention of fraud that targets seniors, including fraudulent marketing materials, and it does address the problem of the Tribes and Tribal members that need to be protected also from the scams.

So I am very proud of this legislation and grateful to the many sponsors.

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