To watch Senator Capito’s questioning, click here or the image above.

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today participated in a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing entitled “Protecting Americans from COVID-19 Scams.”

Given West Virginia’s aging population, Senator Capito has worked extensively to protect vulnerable populations from coronavirus scams, including cosponsoring the CEASE Act, legislation that would increase fines and punishment for individuals who use the COVID-19 pandemic to prey on people. Additionally, Senator Capito sent a letter in March urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to help protect senior citizens from coronavirus-related scams following a recent increase in scams.

HIGHLIGHTS:

OVERCOMING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE: “We have a lack of broadband in our rural areas. What do you find is the best way to transmit to people that may not have broadband connectivity, the possibility of false advertisement, false claims, cures that aren’t going to cure at all or prevent you from ever getting COVID? How do you address that issue?”

HOLDING SCAMMERS ACCOUNTABLE: “We’ve seen big increases in scams—obviously—and they’re headed towards the vulnerable population, which we’ve said. What limitations does the FTC have? I have created an act with Senator Gardner called the CEASE Act, which would increase penalties for false advertising and deceptive acts. Wondering if that would be a helpful tool if you’re aware of it, and what additional tools you might need at the FTC to be able to break up these large advertising scams that we see?”

COMBATTING UNEMPLOYMENT FRAUD: “I’m from West Virginia, and we’ve just had an instance where our unemployment commissioner basically said that somebody from the same IP address had applied for 50,000 different ways to get a benefit with different names or tweaking different names. I’m wondering, Attorney General Schmidt, you mentioned that this is an issue that has come up in Kansas, but I’m wondering if it’s to the magnitude that we’re seeing. Also, what additional resources would you need to combat something of this nature, when a program is created so rapidly but to the great benefit of so many people?”

 

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