SHAHEEN: WE MUST PROTECT OUR SENIORS FROM SCAMS AND FRAUD

(Concord, NH) – Addressing New Hampshire seniors at consumer protection forums in Manchester and Concord earlier today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) highlighted the need to boost awareness and educational tools available to protect from fraud and scams.  Shaheen was joined by officials from the Federal Trade Commission, the NH Attorney General’s Office, the U.S. Postal Service Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Secret Service to discuss ways to protect seniors from identity theft, credit card and loan fraud, and scam work-at-home and business opportunities.

Shaheen's forums occurred just days after she introduced legislation to protect seniors from some of the most common health care fraud schemes, the Protecting Seniors from Health Care Fraud Act.  

“Educating seniors about fraud and other scams is an important step in deterring these schemes," Shaheen said. "We’ve seen too many members of our communities fall victim to these crimes and we have to do more to protect our seniors." 

Fraud and abuse of seniors has risen in recent years with nearly 83,000 complaints in 2012 marking a 12 percent increases from the year before.  Last week, Shaheen introduced the Protecting Seniors from Health Care Fraud Act which aims to help educate seniors on fraud prevention. The legislation targets some of the most common health care fraud schemes which disproportionately target seniors and specifically requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in conjunction with the Department of Justice (DOJ), to work with federal agencies to generate a report with policy recommendations to address the most prevalent health care schemes.