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Dear Editor:
Remember the good ole days when you could leave your front door unlocked? When you didn’t have to be cautious and alert at all times? Unfortunately, we live in an age where it’s best to lean on the side of caution. We’ve all received a call from a scammer requesting personal information that often sounds legitimate but with no way of verifying whether it’s a fraudulent call.
Be that as it may, I applaud the efforts of our Congresswoman Victoria Spartz on the recent passage of the Elder Abuse Protection Act. This bill will continue the Trump Administration’s initiative to hold scammers accountable, and she worked with Democrats to pass this important legislation protecting seniors.
Under this new amendment to the law passed back in 2017, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is now required to take concrete steps to combat elder abuse. Under this new law, the federal government must do the following:
- Create an elder justice coordinator position in federal judicial districts, at the DOJ, and at the Federal Trade Commission
- Implement comprehensive training on elder abuse for Federal Bureau of Investigation agents
- Operate a resource group to assist prosecutors in pursuing elder abuse cases
- Require the Elder Justice Initiative to establish a national elder fraud telephone hotline, provide yearly recommendations to the Office of Tribal Justice, and publish online public resources aimed at preventing elder abuse in both English and Spanish.
- Require the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish a permanent Elder Justice Initiative to coordinate the agency’s efforts to combat elder abuse, fraud, and neglect. The bill would designate an Elder Justice Coordinator to support the initiative’s law enforcement efforts and policy activities.
And finally, the law also requires the DOJ to collect data on elder abuse and investigations as well as provide training and support to states to fight elder abuse. The law specifically targets email fraud by expanding the definition of telemarketing fraud to include email fraud. Prohibited actions include email solicitations for investment for financial profit, participation in a business opportunity, or commitment to a loan.
Every year, America’s senior citizens lose close to $3 billion due to financial exploitation, either from scam artists or unscrupulous caregivers. Thanks for rolling up your sleeves and fighting for Hoosier seniors like myself, Congresswoman!
LW Hutson
Carmel