Senate unanimously passes McCaslin bill to protect elderly from scams

March 13, 2009

OLYMPIA… Calling it a “tremendous new tool for law enforcement and prosecutors,” Sen. Bob McCaslin, R-Spokane Valley, applauded the state Senate’s approval of a measure that would protect the elderly from scams by extending the statute of limitations for certain crimes of theft. 

Substitute Senate Bill 5380, which McCaslin introduced, passed the Senate this week by a vote of 46-0.   

Under Washington law the statute of limitations runs three years from the commission of the crime. SSB 5380 would extend the statute of limitations for first- and second-degree theft to six years after the commission of a crime or its discovery, whichever occurs later, if the discovery was hampered by ongoing efforts by the defendant to conceal the crime through fraud, deceit or misrepresentation.  

“It's no secret that the elderly are victims of scam artists more than most,” McCaslin said. “Many elderly people fall victim to scams that seem to be very legitimate at the time, and often, the victims may not even realize that they have been swindled for years, if at all.” 

According to a 2000 report by the Federal Trade Commission there are almost 15,000 criminal organizations trying to scam the elderly. Often these crimes have both a financial and psychological impact on victims. 

“People who lose their life savings or their property through a phony investment or some other scam deserve a measure of justice,” McCaslin said. “This bill will help give those victims justice and help prevent others from becoming victims in the first place.  

“This is a good bill and I am glad it received such overwhelming support in the Senate.” 

SSB 5380 now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.