Despite efforts to slow them down, spam calls and other scams targeting seniors have only become more prevalent during the pandemic. According to TrueCaller, an increase in spam calls was seen last year even though the number of spam calls appeared to decrease immediately following the onset of the pandemic. This spike was particularly pronounced in the U.S. The Swedish-based call blocking app reported that it helped users to block an average of 28.4 spam calls per month over the first 10 months of 2020. The 56% increase vaulted the U.S. from eighth to second on the list of most spammed countries.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar thinks she has a potential solution to the problem. Her bill, the Protecting Seniors from Emergency Scams Act, is simple — it would require the Federal Trade Commission to produce a report on such scams and how to stop them. In addition, the act would require the FTC to provide an online database of scams targeting seniors, searchable by region and type of scam. Co-sponsored by Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, Klobuchar’s bill passed in the House last year but died in the Senate.
