Welcome. Today, we have a very discouraging issue before us. Senior citizens are being unscrupulously targeted by misleading mailings and flyers - from groups that seek to capture Social Security numbers and other personal information.

Why? So they can sell or rent the data for profit - or in some cases, use that information to solicit future sales or donations. How do they get seniors to turn over sensitive personal information? By issuing promises they can't keep, or using fear and threats. It is downright deceptive, and it must be stopped.

Nine out of ten seniors receive Social Security benefits. It's no wonder why seniors pay such close attention to any information they receive which has the appearance of an official government document or otherwise looks like it might have anything to do with their Social Security checks. I represent a large number of senior citizens in Florida, for whom preserving Social Security and Medicare benefits are of paramount concern.

The law clearly prohibits certain misleading communications, but the Social Security Administration's Office of Inspector General continues to receive complaints from seniors. Last year alone, the Inspector General opened up close to 40 new investigations of misleading Social Security-related solicitations.

My office receives countless numbers of letters generated by senior advocacy groups each year. Many of these campaigns serve the public good by informing and organizing individuals of like interests. Others merely fan fears which then become all the more reason for seniors to support groups that claim to be their advocate for change.

Today we will hear from the Social Security Administration's Inspector General, who will tell us how and why groups generate misleading mailings, and the investigative strategies his office has used to fight these scams. In addition, we will hear perspectives from the Arkansas State's Attorney General's office whose staff works on the front lines combating all types of consumer fraud.

Lorna Daniels, a targeted victim of these misleading flyers, is here to share her story and experience. Betty Severyn will tell us about AARP's many efforts to educate seniors on how to avoid falling prey.

Finally, we will hear testimony from TREA Senior Citizens League and companies they work with on mailings. The address of the TREA Senior Citizens League appeared on the so-called slave reparation and notch flyers as the reply address. While TREA Senior Citizens League claims no role in the distribution of these flyers, I find it problematic that they retrieved the "unsolicited" information from their mailbox and dumped it in their solicitation database. You can be sure we will explore these issues fully when they testify.

It is unconscionable for rip-off artists to prey on vulnerable Americans in their twilight years, many of whom live from check to check and cannot afford to lose any of their hard-earned benefits and savings. Perhaps I'm old-fashioned, but I was taught to respect my elders, not to take advantage of them.

It is my goal to shine a bright light on these deceptive mailings so that senior citizens will be on guard, and contact the Social Security Administration or their Member of Congress at the first sight of a scam.

The best protection against misleading mail schemes is education. We may not be able to completely eliminate these fraudulent groups from targeting seniors, but we can expose their schemes and educate seniors on how to protect themselves.