Bill Text: CA ACR146 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Chaptered

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Bill Title: Senior Fraud Awareness Day.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 58-21)

Status: (Passed) 2014-06-10 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Res. Chapter 60, Statutes of 2014. [ACR146 Detail]

Download: California-2013-ACR146-Chaptered.html

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BILL NUMBER: ACR 146	CHAPTERED
	BILL TEXT

	RESOLUTION CHAPTER  60
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  JUNE 10, 2014
	ADOPTED IN SENATE  JUNE 5, 2014
	ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 15, 2014
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 15, 2014

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Bloom
   (Principal coauthor: Senator Mitchell)
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Brown, Chesbro, Hall, Nestande, V.
Manuel Pérez, Yamada, Achadjian, Alejo, Ammiano, Atkins, Bigelow,
Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Buchanan, Ian Calderon, Campos,
Chau, Chávez, Conway, Cooley, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Donnelly,
Eggman, Fong, Fox, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez,
Gonzalez, Gordon, Gorell, Grove, Hagman, Harkey, Roger Hernández,
Holden, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Linder, Logue, Lowenthal,
Maienschein, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Olsen,
Pan, Perea, John A. Pérez, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Ridley-Thomas,
Rodriguez, Salas, Skinner, Stone, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber,
Wieckowski, Wilk, and Williams)
   (Coauthors: Senators Block, Liu, Monning, and Vidak)

                        MAY 6, 2014

   Relative to Senior Fraud Awareness Day.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   ACR 146, Bloom. Senior Fraud Awareness Day.
   This measure would proclaim May 15, 2014, as Senior Fraud
Awareness Day.



   WHEREAS, As the population ages and more Americans become senior
citizens with life savings, they become greater targets for fraud and
deception. The ease of access for criminals to contact seniors
through the Internet and telephone increases as more creative schemes
emerge; and
   WHEREAS, Senior fraud is a growing concern as millions have fallen
victim to scams, including Medicare scams, sweepstakes and lottery
scams, work at home scams, bereavement scams, identity theft, charity
scams, scams targeting older women, home repair scams, investment
schemes, and reverse mortgage scams. Seniors citizens average one
scam-type letter and two telemarketing phone calls per week. Other
types of fraud perpetrated against senior citizens include health
care fraud, health insurance fraud, counterfeit prescription drug
fraud, funeral and cemetery fraud, "anti-aging" product fraud,
telemarketing fraud, and Internet fraud; and
   WHEREAS, Senior fraud is underreported due to older adults'
embarrassment and lack of information about where to report fraud;
and
   WHEREAS, Caregivers, scam artists, and unscrupulous salespersons
are the primary instigators of senior fraud. The tactics used are
intimidation, fear, friendliness, authority, and control to get the
victim to send money or share private financial information; and
   WHEREAS, As senior citizens own more than one-half of all the
financial assets in America, they are the primary targets for
fraudulent practices. It is estimated by the United States House of
Representatives Subcommittee on Health and Long-Term Care that even
though seniors only represent 12 percent of the population, they
represent 30 percent of the scam victims; and
   WHEREAS, According to the Department of Business Oversight, it is
estimated that 70 percent of Californians over 50 years of age have
been solicited by someone with the intent to defraud them; and
   WHEREAS, Americans who are 65 years of age and older represent
about 13 percent of our country's population, and their population
will only continue to grow as the baby boomer generation begins to
enter that age range; and
   WHEREAS, People who grew up in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s were
generally raised to be polite and trusting. Con artists exploit these
traits, knowing that it is difficult or impossible for these
individuals to say "no" or just hang up the telephone; and
   WHEREAS, The Federal Trade Commission released a statistical
survey of fraud in the United States that shows that nearly 25
million adults - 11.2 percent of the adult population - were victims
of fraud during the year studied; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby proclaims May 15,
2014, as Senior Fraud Awareness Day; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.