III 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 210 

Supporting the designation of May 15, 2019, as ‘‘National Senior Fraud 

Awareness Day’’ to raise awareness about the increasing number of 

fraudulent schemes targeting seniors in the United States, to encourage 

the implementation of policies to prevent those schemes, and to improve 

protections from those schemes for seniors. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 14, 2019 

Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Mr. CASEY, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. JONES, Mr. SCOTT of 

Florida, Ms. ROSEN, Ms. MCSALLY, Ms. WARREN, and Ms. SINEMA) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the designation of May 15, 2019, as ‘‘National 

Senior Fraud Awareness Day’’ to raise awareness about 

the increasing number of fraudulent schemes targeting 

seniors in the United States, to encourage the implementation of policies to prevent those schemes, and to improve protections from those schemes for seniors. 

Whereas, in 2035, there will be an estimated 78,000,000 individuals age 65 or older in the United States (referred 

to in this preamble as ‘‘seniors’’), compared to an estimated 76,700,000 individuals under the age of 18; 

Whereas senior fraud is a growing concern as millions of seniors in the United States are targeted by scams each 


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•SRES 210 ATS 

year, including Internal Revenue Service impersonation 

scams, identify theft or identity fraud involving Social Security benefits and other identity theft, sweepstakes and 

lottery scams, grandparent scams, computer tech support 

scams, romance scams, work-at-home scams, charity 

scams, home improvement scams, and fraudulent investment schemes; 

Whereas other types of fraud perpetrated against seniors include health care fraud, health insurance fraud, counterfeit prescription drug fraud, funeral and cemetery fraud, 

‘‘anti-aging’’ product fraud, telemarketing fraud, and 

internet fraud; 

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 

8,200 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; 

Whereas, according to the Consumer Sentinel Network Data 

Book 2018, released by the Federal Trade Commission, 

people age 60 or older were defrauded of approximately 

$391,000,000 in 2018, with the median loss to defrauded 

victims age 80 or older averaging $1,700 per person, 

more than double the average amount lost by victims between the ages of 50 and 59; 


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Whereas senior fraud is underreported by victims due to embarrassment and lack of information about where to report fraud; and 

Whereas May 15, 2019, is an appropriate day to establish as 

‘‘National Senior Fraud Awareness Day’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) supports the designation of May 15, 2019, 

3 as ‘‘National Senior Fraud Awareness Day’’; 

4 (2) recognizes National Senior Fraud Aware5 ness Day as an opportunity to raise awareness about 

6 the barrage of scams that individuals age 65 or 

7 older in the United States (referred to in this resolu8 tion as ‘‘seniors’’) face in person, by mail, on the 

9 phone, and online; 

10 (3) recognizes that law enforcement, consumer 

11 protection groups, area agencies on aging, and fi12 nancial institutions all play vital roles in preventing 

13 scams targeting seniors and educating seniors about 

14 those scams; 

15 (4) encourages implementation of policies to 

16 prevent scams targeting seniors and to improve 

17 measures to protect seniors from those scams; and 


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1 (5) honors the commitment and dedication of 

2 the individuals and organizations that work tirelessly 

3 to fight against scams targeting seniors. 

Æ 


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