Protection against telemarketing fraud

The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall establish standards for service coordinators in federally assisted housing who are providing education and outreach to elderly persons residing in such housing regarding telemarketing fraud. The standards shall be designed to ensure that such education and outreach informs such elderly persons of the dangers of telemarketing fraud and facilitates the investigation and prosecution of telemarketers engaging in fraud against such residents.

The standards established under this subsection shall require that any such education and outreach be provided in a manner that—

(A) informs such residents of— (i) the prevalence of telemarketing fraud targeted against elderly persons; (ii) how telemarketing fraud works; (iii) how to identify telemarketing fraud; (iv) how to protect themselves against telemarketing fraud, including an explanation of the dangers of providing bank account, credit card, or other financial or personal information over the telephone to unsolicited callers; (v) how to report suspected attempts at telemarketing fraud; and (vi) their consumer protection rights under Federal law;

(B) provides such other information as the Secretary considers necessary to protect such residents against fraudulent telemarketing; and

(C) disseminates the information provided by appropriate means, and in determining such appropriate means, the Secretary shall consider on-site presentations at federally assisted housing, public service announcements, a printed manual or pamphlet, an Internet website, and telephone outreach to residents whose names appear on “mooch lists” confiscated from fraudulent telemarketers.