Photos: YouTube Screenshots
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Wednesday, Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07) introduced the bipartisan Reporting Instances of Non-authorized Grift (RING) Act of 2023 in the United States House of Representatives, along with his colleagues Congressman Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-05), Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), Congressman David Trone (D-MD-06), Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27), Congressman Andy Kim (D-NJ-03), Congressman Vern Buchanan (R-FL-16), and Congresswoman Katie Porter (D-CA-47).
This legislation requires creditors, including credit card companies, establish a phone line to help older Americans resolve billing errors and mitigate credit fraud.
“As technology evolves, monetary theft by way of scams and fraud are becoming far more common, as criminals are able to use skilled deceit to rob hardworking Americans of their financial security,”said Congressman Mfume. “My legislation serves as a lifeline for senior citizens to easily recoup their hard-earned finances through a readily accessible phone line specifically tailored for their use. No longer will older adults feel as though they have nowhere to turn when they need assistance recovering funds that are rightfully theirs,” he concluded.
“On behalf of AARP’s 38 million members and all older Americans nationwide, I write to express AARP’s support for the Reporting Instances of Non-authorized Grift Act of 2023 (RING) Act. We are pleased to support this bipartisan initiative,”said Bill Sweeney, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).
“AARP is pleased to support the RING Act, a bipartisan initiative to equip older Americans with a direct and accessible way to reach creditors to resolve errors and report fraud. This legislation will serve as an important tool as we continue to fight back against frauds and scams impacting Americans across the country,”said AARP Maryland State President Jim Campbell.
“Difficulty reaching a human being at a company is frustrating for everyone, but especially for older Americans who aren’t comfortable using apps. Rep. Mfume’s bill will enable older Americans to get the help they need from a company when there is a problem that needs attention,” said Lauren Saunders, Associate Director, National Consumer Law Center.
Scams targeting older adults are on the rise. In 2021, there were 92,371 older victims of fraud resulting in $1.7 billion in losses. Losing money or possessions to scams, fraud, and exploitation can be especially devastating to older adults, who may be unable to earn back what they’ve lost. In addition, even more innocent billing errors can be hard to rectify as an older adult, without dedicated staff to assist them.
By requiring creditors to establish a hotline for older Americans to mitigate billing errors and fraud, this bill seeks to streamline the process of recouping lost funds. Congressman Mfume’s legislation is endorsed by the national AARP, AARP Maryland, National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low-income clients) , and the BDS Healthy Aging Networks.
Constituent Spotlight: Ms. Catherine Burke
Ms. Catherine Burke is a constituent of Maryland’s 7th Congressional District who experienced an issue with fraud. When attempting to transfer her retirement savings to a new account, her roll over check was fraudulently cashed. Ms. Burke found it difficult to navigate this issue, given the lack of sufficient communication channels between herself and other parties involved to resolve this situation. Congressman Mfume ultimately advocated on her behalf with the appropriate governmental agencies and was able to get a new check issued. Ms. Burke, following the intervention from Congressman Mfume, received the more than$58,000 she was owed.
“At the end of 2022, I was a victim of fraud. I had a retirement check intercepted and either did not make it to my mailbox or was stolen from the mailbox and subsequently fraudulently cashed. I tried to get help from the end of October 2022 until February 2023, but was hitting a wall every time I called. When I finally contacted the Congressman’s office, I started to get results until finally a new check was issued and sent to me. This legislation will be very important for seniors who become the victims of a scam and don’t have the resources to hire an attorney or know where else to turn for help. A hotline that works with people and provides real answers to desperate questions will go a long way in creating peace of mind,” said Ms. Catherine Burke.
More Information on the RING Act of 2023
- This bill requires all creditors to publish a toll-free domestic phone line operated by persons located in the United States.
- This phone line is to be dedicated to directly assisting obligors age 50 and older to navigate the resolution of billing errors and fraudulent activity.
- This bill requires that all creditors provide a clear, understandable, and prominent notice to obligors that this phone line is available through email, websites, and mailings.
- According to the bill, this phone line must be operated and answered by real people and must include an option for Spanish-speaking older Americans to speak with a Spanish-speaking agent as well.
- The bill also protects the privacy of older Americans who may be using the phone line, by barring the agents on the other end of the phone line from asking for personally identifiable information such as social security numbers.
