WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Vern Buchanan today called on Congress to help protect seniors against the growing number of financial scams, saying nearly one in five Americans over 65 will be victimized by fraud.

Buchanan said Congress should pass the bipartisan Seniors Fraud Prevention Act, legislation he wrote and introduced to help crack down on scams targeting seniors.

The bill directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to create a senior fraud group that would alert consumers about scams, maintain online resources and create an effective complaint system to ensure that reports of fraud are quickly forwarded to the appropriate law enforcement agency.