At the end of last week, Florida’s two U.S. senators–Republicans Marco Rubio and Rick Scott– joined all of the members of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, in sending a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan requesting information on the FTC’s efforts and strategies to protect older Americans from increasing threats posed by artificial intelligence (AI) related frauds and scams.
There has been an increase in cases of scammers utilizing AI to impersonate loved ones to scam people, often the elderly, out of money.
The senators wrote, “Combatting frauds and scams has been a longstanding priority for the Committee across annual hearings, the Committee’s fraud hotline, and its fraud book. You recently noted how ‘generative AI risks turbocharging fraud.’ While AI contains significant promise as an innovative technology, it can also be manipulated by malicious actors targeting vulnerable populations, particularly older Americans.”
The senators also asked the following questions:
What is the FTC’s understanding of recent developments in AI-related scams?
What information and data does the FTC have on the prevalence of AI-related scams and accompanying risks?
What steps is the FTC taking or preparing to protect older Americans from AI-related scams?
Is the FTC preparing to update its counter-scam educational and awareness materials, including the “Pass It On” campaign’s materials directly intended for older Americans, to account for the rising risks of AI-related scams?
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