CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – The Judiciary Committee of the West Virginia Legislature came together on Monday as part of the Legislatures ongoing September Interim Meetings to hear from AARP.
Lawmakers received briefings on the loss of funds by senior citizens of the Mountain State, a discussion which stemmed from those of continual service contracts and auto renewal. These practices, it was pointed out, are deceptive in nature, and lead to the depleting of funds for these residents each year.
New regulations are reportedly being established currently by the Federal Trade Commission which pertain to continual service contracts and auto renewal. AARP recommended to members of the Legislature this week to await the issuance of the guidelines in question prior to the establishment of any new state regulation legislation.
A purported $228 million annually was reported to be lost to scam and fraud tactics – an issue which has proven particularly detrimental to senior citizens of West Virginia in recent years. Fraudulent schemes cited as typical for the scamming of senior citizens are said to include those of a romantic nature, phone scams, faux sweepstakes and prize scams, email, and text scams.
While West Virginia is said to have more regulations in place than many other areas with regard to the hindering of this type of fraudulent activity, the issue still impacts a substantial number of residents annually throughout the state.
Understanding and general knowledge of state practices was cited as one of the most effective tools in the face of these issues, and it was asserted that the Office of Social Security would never reach out to any individual directly. Additionally, it was advised that internet users should always refrain from clicking links which are unfamiliar.
Additional LOOTPRESS coverage of the ongoing Interim Sessions of the West Virginia Legislature can be found here.Â