Senate Special Committee on Aging Launches Anti-Fraud Hotline

Senate Special Committee on Aging Launches Anti-Fraud Hotline

If you or someone you know suspects they have been the victim of a scam or fraud aimed at seniors, the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging has set up a toll-free hotline to help.

The hotline was unveiled in late 2013 to make it easier for senior citizens to report suspected fraud and receive assistance. It is staffed by a team of committee investigators weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST. The investigators, who have experience with investment scams, identity theft, bogus sweepstakes and lottery schemes, Medicare and Social Security fraud, and a variety of other senior exploitation issues, will directly examine complaints and, if appropriate, refer people to the proper authorities.

Anyone with information about suspected fraud can call the toll-free fraud hotline at 1-855-303-9470, or contact the committee through its website, located at www.aging.senate.gov/fraud-hotline.

As chairman and ranking member of the committee, Sens. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Susan Collins (R-ME) have made consumer protection and fraud prevention a primary focus of the committee’s work. This year the panel has held hearings examining Jamaican lottery scams, tax-related identity theft, Social Security fraud and payday loans impact on seniors.

“If you’re contacted about an offer that sounds too good to be true, then it probably is,” Nelson said. “This new hotline will give seniors a resource to turn to for assistance if they think they’ve been victimized or have questions about fraudulent activities.”

“Ensuring that seniors are as equipped as possible to avoid becoming victims of fraud and other scams is among our committee’s top priorities,” said Collins. “This new hotline offered by the Senate Special Committee on Aging will help to identify and put a stop to the cruel scams that hurt seniors and their families.”

Source: United States Senate Special Committee on Aging (www.aging.senate.gov)