BANGOR, Maine — Senators from Maine and Minnesota have introduced a bill designed to stop scams that target older residents.

Amy Klobuchar

Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota said they have introduced the Seniors Fraud Prevention Act. The proposal would direct the Federal Trade Commission to create an office that educates seniors about fraud.

The senators said the new office would also beef up the agency’s monitoring and response efforts when it comes to senior fraud. Collins said the proposal “would enhance fraud monitoring, increase consumer education, and strengthen the complaint tracking system to help prevent seniors from being robbed of their hard-earned savings through threatening and manipulative scams.”

The proposal has companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.