Governor Josh Shapiro is calling on Pennsylvania lawmakers to strengthen laws against financial exploitation, following the case of Keith and Deb Marsh, a retired Episcopalian priest and nurse from Montgomery County, who lost $850,000 to scammers impersonating bank employees.The con artists convinced the couple that their bank accounts had been compromised and instructed them to transfer their money for protection, which they did.Need for updated laws Shapiro emphasized the need for updated laws, noting that the Older Adults Protective Services Act has not been revised in nearly 30 years and does not address financial exploitation.”We need to put more safeguards in place — that’s why I’m calling on the legislature to update our laws to include financial exploitation as a crime and empower DA’s and the Attorney General to prosecute these crimes,” Shapiro said. He also pointed out that none of the actual bank employees flagged the transactions for suspected fraud.How to protect yourselfWhile lawmakers debate changing current laws, individuals are advised to protect themselves by remembering that scammers try to scare them and get them to act quickly.If you receive an unexpected call or message about a problem with one of your accounts, verify the message with a trusted number, not the number from the scammer.
Governor Josh Shapiro is calling on Pennsylvania lawmakers to strengthen laws against financial exploitation, following the case of Keith and Deb Marsh, a retired Episcopalian priest and nurse from Montgomery County, who lost $850,000 to scammers impersonating bank employees.
The con artists convinced the couple that their bank accounts had been compromised and instructed them to transfer their money for protection, which they did.
Need for updated laws
Shapiro emphasized the need for updated laws, noting that the Older Adults Protective Services Act has not been revised in nearly 30 years and does not address financial exploitation.
“We need to put more safeguards in place — that’s why I’m calling on the legislature to update our laws to include financial exploitation as a crime and empower DA’s and the Attorney General to prosecute these crimes,” Shapiro said.
He also pointed out that none of the actual bank employees flagged the transactions for suspected fraud.
How to protect yourself
While lawmakers debate changing current laws, individuals are advised to protect themselves by remembering that scammers try to scare them and get them to act quickly.
If you receive an unexpected call or message about a problem with one of your accounts, verify the message with a trusted number, not the number from the scammer.