Letter to Honorable Rebecca Slaughter, Acting Chair of the Federal Trade Commission - Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher Fights to Protect Texans Against Scams After Texas Winter Storm

Letter

Dear Acting Chair Slaughter:
Thank you for your work to protect consumers from deceptive and unfair practices, particularly
in recent months of crisis and vulnerability as we respond to the many challenges of the
coronavirus pandemic. As a member of the Consumer Protection & Commerce subcommittee of
the Committee on Energy & Commerce, I look forward to working with your office to safeguard
all American consumers.
As you know well, times when people are most vulnerable are also times when some see
opportunity for fraudulent products and scams. I write to you now because it is unfortunately
such a time in Texas.
Texas experienced an epic winter storm beginning on February 14, 2021. So great were the
anticipated impacts that President Biden signed a federal disaster declaration that day for all 254
Texas counties. Less than a week later, he signed a major disaster declaration covering much of
the state, and new areas continue to be added.
While people across Texas were without power and water, predatory actors were already at
work. On February 16, with 3.2 million Texas residents without power, the Electric Reliability
Council of Texas (ERCOT) warned residents of a scam asking customers to text their private
account numbers to restore their power.1
Just the day before, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo
reported that people were impersonating employees of the area's utility provider, CenterPoint
Energy, to gain access to people's homes.2
Though the majority of Texans now have their power
restored, these and other schemes relating to recovery projects from the storm--from repairing
broken pipes to rehabilitating flooded homes--provide ample opportunity for scams.
Because of this continued threat, I ask that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) coordinate with
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee to hold
these unscrupulous actors accountable. While some of these scams originate locally, many

scams will come through social media and the internet, necessitating the FTC's coordination and
cooperation.
As we look to the future, we must ensure that those who would commit fraud against our citizens
in this particularly vulnerable moment are held accountable. To this end, I also ask the FTC to
answer:
1. What protocols or procedures, if any, does the FTC have in place to respond to unfair and
deceptive practices that too often occur during and after emergencies such as natural
disasters or public health emergencies?
2. What resources and activities does the FTC dedicate to consumer protection and fraud
prevention in preparation for such emergencies?
Fraud is never acceptable. But the targeting of the most vulnerable, those suffering through
disaster and crisis, is unconscionable. The FTC must do all in its power to protect these
consumers.
Sincerely,

Source