- The National Association of Attorneys General (“NAAG”) sent a letter signed by a bipartisan group of 44 AGs to congressional leaders urging them to include the Edith Shorougian Senior Victims of Fraud Compensation Act (S. 3487/H.R. 7620) (“Edith’s Bill”) in COVID-19 relief legislation.
- The letter notes that seniors are especially at risk for COVID-19-related fraud because scammers exploit seniors’ anxiety about the pandemic. The letter states that fraud against seniors is especially devastating because the majority of seniors live on fixed income and it is rare for seniors to be compensated for fraud even after the fraudster is caught.
- The letter urges congress to enact Edith’s Bill, which will amend the Victims of Crime Act of 1984, to make victims of senior fraud eligible for reimbursement by the Crime Victims Fund. The bill will also direct penalties and fines from deferred prosecution and non-prosecution agreements to be deposited into the Crime Victims Fund.