Governor signs McCaslin bill to protect elderly from scams

April 10, 2009

OLYMPIA… This afternoon Gov. Christine Gregoire signed into law Sen. Bob McCaslin’s legislation targeting scam artists. Senate Bill 5380 extends the statute of limitations for first- and second-degree theft to six years, commencing at the time when a theft is discovered if the discovery was hampered by ongoing efforts by the defendant to conceal the crime through fraud, deceit or misrepresentation.  

According to a 2000 report by the Federal Trade Commission, there are almost 15,000 criminal organizations trying to scam the elderly. More than $40 billion is stolen through their scams each year, and seven out of 10 of these criminal acts will target senior citizens. 

 “The more devious and clever these scam artists are, the more likely it is they are capable of avoiding detection within the old three-year limit,” said McCaslin, R-Spokane Valley. “More than anything else, I hope this legislation will give law enforcement and prosecutors the tools they need to put these con artists in jail; this law will make prosecution of these criminals easier and give them something to think about before they commit their fraudulent activities.”  

The bill, which passed the Senate and the House of Representatives unanimously, takes effect July 9.