{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/kelly-gillibrand-scott-moody-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-protect-seniors-from-scammers/", "Kelly, Gillibrand, Scott, Moody Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Seniors from Scammers", "2025-12-08", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "AZ", "Mark Kelly", "K000377", "www.kelly.senate.gov", "markkelly", "https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "scraper", "Americans lost $16.6 billion to scams in 2024; $4.8 billion was stolen from seniors\n\nSenators and Senate Aging Committee members Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Ashley Moody (R-FL) introduced the bipartisan National Strategy for Combating Scams Act, legislation that would require the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to develop a coordinated national strategy to combat scams, incorporating input from scam victims, seniors, law enforcement, nonprofits, and businesses.\n\nThe legislation follows a Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing last year, where Kelly heard from consumer advocates, law enforcement, and fraud victims about how scammers are targeting older adults and discussed ways to protect seniors from increasingly sophisticated fraud.\n\n\u201cEvery year, scammers steal billions of dollars from Americans, harming families, especially seniors. But the federal government lacks a strategy to address the scope and speed of these schemes,\u201d said Sen. Kelly. \u201cThis bipartisan bill will create a coordinated approach to crack down on fraud, better protect families and seniors, and hold scammers accountable.\u201d\n\n\u201cLast year alone, Americans lost over $16 billion to scams. That\u2019s a staggering amount of money that\u2019s been stolen from our families, our neighbors, and, disproportionately, our seniors,\u201d said Sen. Gillibrand. \u201cI\u2019m proud to introduce the bipartisan National Strategy for Combating Scams Act to help make sure seniors don\u2019t get scrooged this holiday season. It\u2019s clear that we need a coordinated national strategy to tackle the increasingly sophisticated scams targeting our seniors, and this legislation would bring that to fruition. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this vital bill across the finish line.\u201d\n\n\u201cFamilies across the country are being hammered by increasingly sophisticated scams, and Washington has been far too slow to respond,\u201d said Sen. Scott. \u201cAs chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, I am proud to join Ranking Member Gillibrand in this bipartisan effort to finally bring federal agencies together, cut the duplication, and create a real national plan to protect seniors and hardworking Americans. After the findings of our fraud report, it\u2019s clear we need a coordinated strategy, not more bureaucracy or new spending, and this bill delivers exactly that. I\u2019m proud to help lead this charge to crack down on criminals and keep Americans safe.\u201d\n\nMore than four in ten Americans say they have lost money to scams or had their sensitive information obtained fraudulently. Criminals increasingly utilize advanced tools like generative AI and voice deepfakes to deceive victims, disproportionately targeting older adults. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) identified at least 13 agencies involved in anti-scam efforts, each working independently under different mandates and authorities. GAO has recommended that the FBI take the lead in creating a National Strategy for Combating Scams to enhance federal coordination and effectiveness in fighting these crimes. This legislation would give the FBI a legal obligation to follow through on this recommendation.\n\nCompanion legislation was introduced into the House of Representatives by Representative Gabe Amo (D-RI-01) and Representative Derek Schmidt (R-KS-02).\n\n\u201cI\u2019m proud to introduce the bipartisan National Strategy for Combating Scams Act in the House, alongside my colleagues in the Senate, to ensure we are addressing the rising scam threat in a coordinated and strategic manner,\u201d said Rep. Amo. \u201cI look forward to working together as the national strategy is developed to keep fighting scammers and keep Rhode Islanders money where it belongs, in their pockets.\u201d\n\nThis legislation is supported by AARP, Aspen Institute Financial Security Program, Chamber of Progress, Global Anti-Scam Alliance, North America Chapter, Justice in Aging, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Meta, National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA), National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA), National Association of Social Workers (NASW), National Caucus and Center on Black Aging, Inc. (NCBA), National Center for Victims of Crime, National Crime Prevention Council, National Sheriffs\u2019 Association, and the Stop Scams Alliance.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/kelly-gillibrand-scott-moody-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-protect-seniors-from-scammers/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0866131633520126, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}