Politics & Government

Atkins Announces Legislation to Protect Senior Citizens from Wire Fraud

State representative Joe Atkins (D-52B) will announce legislation today aimed at protecting elderly Minnesotans from forms of wire transfer fraud.

Editor's note: The following is a press release from the office of Rep. Joe Atkins.

State Representative Joe Atkins (DFL – Inver Grove Heights) and State Senator Terri Bonoff (DFL – Minnetonka) will announce legislation aimed at protecting senior citizens from wire transfer fraud on Tuesday, March 5 at 10:00 AM. Rep. Atkins and Sen. Bonoff will be joined by Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman, Jim Arlt, retired Senior Special Agent with the Department of Public Safety, and AARP member Peggy Hiestand.

Too many older Minnesotans fall victim to frauds and scams that can wreak havoc on their financial security. In tough economic times, a senior’s vulnerability to scams only increases. Tens of thousands of Minnesotans have been scammed by making a wire transfer -- resulting in millions of dollars of loss per year. Scam artists often target seniors – and they use wire transfers because fraudulent activity is hard to track and law enforcement agencies have few tools to stop the fraud.

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