Speaking at the Greenwich Senior Citizens Center, Republican candidate for Attorney General Ross Garber announced his intention to aggressively combat internet fraud targeted at senior citizens. As more seniors go on-line, they may increasingly fall prey to unscrupulous scammers who view seniors as vulnerable.
“Seniors are increasingly using the internet as a daily part of their lives. Too often they are becoming the targets of sophisticated, unscrupulous scammers who view senior as vulnerable,” said Garber. “As Attorney General I will take special steps to aggressively combat internet fraud against seniors.”
If elected, Garber will immediately take the following actions:
1. Establish an Internet Fraud Task Force, which would work with officials from the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice, the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection and other federal and state agencies to protect our citizens from internet cons. The lawyers and investigators who will make up this Task Force will be knowledgeable about how technology and the internet can be used to defraud senior citizens and other consumers as well as the application of Connecticut laws, including the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act.
2. Emphasize “real time law enforcement” to address cases of internet fraud. Garber will respond to all allegations of internet fraud by conducting a thorough but speedy investigation and, if the allegations prove true, insist upon immediate corrective action by an alleged violator.
3. Coordinate a program to educate senior citizens about the risks of on-line activities and ways to make their use of the internet as safe as possible. Among the topics that will be addressed are using protective technology, including secure wireless networks, anti-virus software, anti-spyware software and firewalls, and recognizing the warning signs of a fraud or scam.
Garber said, “For seniors, the internet can be a great way to get information, communicate, bank and shop. Unfortunately, there are scammers who will try to take advantage of those they perceive to be vulnerable. Our message to them is simple: stay away from Connecticut. Our seniors will be ready for you. And if you do happen to succeed in defrauding a citizen of Connecticut, we use the full force of law to force you to make things right.”
Garber told the seniors that in cases of unintentional misconduct, the Attorney General will work with otherwise law abiding companies to ensure they correct the situation and act in a responsible way toward those negatively impacted. “Willful acts resulting in the mistreatment of seniors will not be tolerated,” Garber said.
