Senate approves consumer protection bill

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Kay Floyd, D-Oklahoma City, has won unanimous Senate approval for legislation strengthening protections for consumers.  Senate Bill 871 would make it a violation of the Oklahoma Consumer Protection Act to pose as a state agency representative in a letter or advertisement to scam citizens.

“It’s called an imposter scam.  A citizen will get a letter that looks like it’s from a state agency or state official telling them they need to file certain documents and requiring a fee in order for the paperwork to be filed.  In reality, those documents can often be filed online by the consumer for free, or at least at a lower cost,” Floyd said. “This legislation is aimed at stopping those types of scammers.”

Floyd said imposter scams are the most common form of fraud reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).  Nearly 985,000 complaints about imposter scams were filed in 2021 alone.  Floyd said it’s a problem that’s only getting worse.

“Nationwide, consumers were ripped off for more than $2.3 billion in 2021, nearly double the 2020 total,” Floyd said. “Adding this crime to our consumer protection statutes gives us one more tool for fighting these scammers.”

SB 871 now moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration.  The House principal author is Rep. Meloyde Blancett, D-Tulsa.

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