In Rochester, Klobuchar, AARP, and Rochester Police Department Offer Tips on Protecting Seniors from Fraud

Statement

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) held a roundtable with AARP Minnesota and the Rochester Police Department on protecting seniors from fraud. Klobuchar, elder care advocates, and law enforcement officers discussed the best tools and resources to educate seniors about fraud schemes and prevent seniors from falling victim to scams.

"All Americans deserve safety and dignity in their senior years, but too often, older Americans are the targets of deceptive scams that can have serious consequences," said Klobuchar. "I was glad to talk with local advocates and law enforcement about how we can educate consumers about scams and prevent more seniors from falling victim to these tactics."

Klobuchar was joined by Cathy McLeer, President of AARP Minnesota; Sylwia Bujous, Executive Director at 125 Live Center; Eric Stroup, Rochester Police Department Sergeant; and Walt Rothwell, AARP Fraud Watch Network volunteer.

Klobuchar's bipartisan Seniors Fraud Prevention Act, which cracks down on fraud schemes targeting seniors, was enacted by President Biden last month. The law will help fight scams designed to rob seniors of their assets by directing the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to create a new office dedicated to educating seniors about fraud schemes and improving the agency's monitoring and response to fraud complaints.

Tips for protecting seniors from fraud schemes include:

Never give your credit card, social security number, or any other financial information out over the phone, by mail or by email unless you initiate the contact and know who you are dealing with.
Always ask for and wait until you receive written material about any offer or charity.
Obtain a salesperson's name, business identity, telephone number, street address, mailing address, and business license number before you transact business.
Beware of phrases like "you will lose out if you don't act now."
If you suspect you have encountered fraud, don't be afraid or embarrassed to talk about it with someone you trust. Keep handy the phone numbers and resources you can turn to, including the local police, your bank (if money has been taken from your accounts), and Adult Protective Services.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison's office has a Fraud Report Form that seniors can fill out here to report a fraud or scam. Minnesotans can also report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) through its online portal at reportfraud.ftc.gov or by calling 877-382-4357.

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