FIGHTING FRAUD

The unfortunate truth is that fraud has grown exponentially in our state over the last few years. With advances in technology, scam artists are finding new ways to take advantage of Georgia’s citizens. They prey on seniors, younger folks and other trusting people. Whether its telemarketing fraud, internet fraud, or elder fraud, it’s time to take a tougher stand against these criminals by hunting them down and putting them behind bars, helping the public fight fraud and imposing tougher penalties on those that perpetrate these crimes.

As Secretary of State, I will work to protect the life-savings of hard-working Georgians and seniors by aggressively identifying, tracking, arresting, prosecuting and outing scam artists. By making it extremely difficult to perpetrate a scam in Georgia, scam artists will think twice about preying on the good people of Georgia.

Education

Fighting fraud starts with educating our citizens about investment scams and promoting awareness. I will work with church leaders, doctors, lawyers, hospitals, nursing homes and other entities to develop a reliable system that will inform citizens of the investment scams and fraudulent business practices being used by criminals and other scam artists.

I will also work with industry leaders to ensure that they are doing everything they can to foster an open and honest environment that benefits consumers and business and makes it easier to distinguish fraudulent operators from honest businesses. To fight securities fraud, I will team with attorneys, community leaders, business leaders, bankers, and other industry leaders to create a network that will identify, hunt down and prosecute scam artists.

Keeping Track of Fraud

I will create Georgia’s first state-wide criminal watch-list that identifies individuals and entities that have engaged in investment fraud to expose their practices and make it easier for citizens to recognize these schemes before they happen. This information database will also include the most common types of fraud and tips on how to detect and avoid scams before they occur.

“Phishing” scams have become one of the most common schemes employed by con artists in recent years. Phishing is a technique in which someone tries to gain personal information, such as credit card numbers, using fraudulent e-mails that appear to be from a legitimate bank or government. As your next Secretary of State, I will establish an email “hotline” so that suspicious emails can be forwarded for investigation.

Cooperative Securities Enforcement

I will create a universal 3-digit dialing number (e.g. 711 or 811) so that citizens can report suspicious investment opportunities. The number will connect you to a Secretary of State Securities Officer who will assess the legitimacy of a particular security or seller at your request. I will also explore the creation of new technology that would put the Secretary of State Securities Officer on the phone with you and the purported seller as you are being solicited.

Whether it’s by telephone or the internet, Georgians and community leaders will have the resources they need to establish the credibility of companies and individuals soliciting the life-savings of seniors and hard-working Georgians.

Imposing Tougher Penalties

I will work with the State legislature to enact legislation that imposes tougher penalties on the criminals responsible for investment scams and fraud. I will work with local law enforcement, our Attorney General, state regulatory agencies, and county DA’s to arrest and prosecute the criminals who engage in these predatory practices.

When I’m done implementing my comprehensive “get tough on fraud” strategy, scam artists will wish they had never heard of the State of Georgia.