Chairman Rick Scott of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging will lead a field hearing in Doral, Florida, on August 7 to address fraud and financial exploitation targeting seniors. The hearing, titled “Protecting Florida’s Seniors: Fighting Fraud and Financial Exploitation,” aims to examine the increasing threat of scams affecting older Americans and discuss strategies for prevention, reporting, and coordinated responses.
The committee recently released its 2025 Fraud Report, which documents a significant rise in scams using advanced technology such as artificial intelligence. According to the report, seniors lost more than $4.8 billion to fraud in 2024, with individuals aged 50-59 losing an additional $2.5 billion.
Chairman Scott has introduced new legislation—the STOP Scammers Act and the GUARD Act—designed to address these growing concerns by strengthening protections for seniors against financial crimes.
Witnesses scheduled to testify include Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz of the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office; Jeff Johnson, State Director of AARP Florida; Kathy Kraninger, President and CEO of the Florida Bankers Association; and Brandy Bauer, Joint Center Director for the State Health Insurance Assistance Program Technical Assistance Center and the Senior Medicare Patrol National Resource Center.
The hearing will take place at the Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office in Doral at 10:00 AM on August 7. A live broadcast will be available online.
"Protecting Florida’s seniors from fraud is a top priority," said Chairman Rick Scott. "This hearing will help us learn from experts and community leaders about how we can better safeguard our aging population."
