Title: Seniors Fraud Prevention Act of 2017
Policy area: Commerce

Summary:
Seniors Fraud Prevention Act of 2017
This bill directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to establish an office within the Bureau of Consumer Protection to advise the FTC on the prevention of fraud targeting seniors and to assist the FTC in monitoring the market for mail, television, Internet, telemarketing, and recorded message telephone call (robocall) fraud targeting seniors.
The office must: (1) disseminate to seniors and their families and caregivers information on the most common fraud schemes, including methods of reporting complaints either to the FTC's national toll-free telephone number or to the FTC's Consumer Sentinel Network, where complaints become immediately available to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, state attorneys general, and other appropriate law enforcement agencies; (2) provide, in response to a specific request about a particular entity or individual, publicly available information regarding the FTC's enforcement action; and (3) maintain a website as a resource for information on fraud targeting seniors.
The FTC must establish procedures through such office to: (1) log and acknowledge the receipt of complaints by individuals who believe they have been a victim of such fraud in the Consumer Sentinel Network and to make such complaints immediately available to federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities; and (2) provide individuals with information on such fraud as well as the most common schemes.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 444 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 444

     To establish an advisory office within the Bureau of Consumer 
 Protection of the Federal Trade Commission to prevent fraud targeting 
                    seniors, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 11, 2017

 Mr. Deutch (for himself, Mr. Buchanan, and Mr. Welch) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To establish an advisory office within the Bureau of Consumer 
 Protection of the Federal Trade Commission to prevent fraud targeting 
                    seniors, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Seniors Fraud Prevention Act of 
2017''.

SEC. 2. OFFICE FOR THE PREVENTION OF FRAUD TARGETING SENIORS.

    (a) Establishment of Advisory Office.--The Federal Trade Commission 
shall establish an office within the Bureau of Consumer Protection for 
the purpose of advising the Commission on the prevention of fraud 
targeting seniors and to assist the Commission with the following:
            (1) Oversight.--The advisory office shall monitor the 
        market for mail, television, Internet, telemarketing, and 
        recorded message telephone call (hereinafter referred to as 
        ``robocall'') fraud targeting seniors and shall coordinate with 
        other relevant agencies regarding the requirements of this 
        section.
            (2) Consumer education.--The Commission through the 
        advisory office shall, in consultation with the Attorney 
        General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the 
        Postmaster General, the Chief Postal Inspector for the United 
        States Postal Inspection Service, and other relevant agencies--
                    (A) disseminate to seniors and families and 
                caregivers of seniors general information on mail, 
                television, Internet, telemarketing, and robocall fraud 
                targeting seniors, including descriptions of the most 
                common fraud schemes;
                    (B) disseminate to seniors and families and 
                caregivers of seniors information on reporting 
                complaints of fraud targeting seniors either to the 
                national toll-free telephone number established by the 
                Commission for reporting such complaints, or to the 
                Consumer Sentinel Network, operated by the Commission, 
                where such complaints will become immediately available 
                to appropriate law enforcement agencies, including the 
                Federal Bureau of Investigation and the attorneys 
                general of the States;
                    (C) in response to a specific request about a 
                particular entity or individual, provide publically 
                available information of enforcement action taken by 
                the Commission for mail, television, Internet, 
                telemarketing, and robocall fraud against such entity; 
                and
                    (D) maintain a Web site to serve as a resource for 
                information for seniors and families and caregivers of 
                seniors regarding mail, television, Internet, 
                telemarketing, robocall, and other identified fraud 
                targeting seniors.
            (3) Complaints.--The Commission through the advisory office 
        shall, in consultation with the Attorney General, establish 
        procedures to--
                    (A) log and acknowledge the receipt of complaints 
                by individuals who believe they have been a victim of 
                mail, television, Internet, telemarketing, and robocall 
                fraud in the Consumer Sentinel Network, and shall make 
                those complaints immediately available to Federal, 
                State, and local law enforcement authorities; and
                    (B) provide to individuals described in 
                subparagraph (A), and to any other persons, specific 
                and general information on mail, television, Internet, 
                telemarketing, and robocall fraud, including 
                descriptions of the most common schemes using such 
                methods of communication.
    (b) Commencement.--The Commission shall commence carrying out the 
requirements of this section not later than one year after the date of 
enactment of this Act.
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