Lower Bucks Today

Rep. Joe Hogan and the House Republican Policy Committee, led by Chairman Josh Kail, hosted a hearing on fraud protection, featuring various speakers from the community and law enforcement.

"Keeping our community safe is a top priority for me," said Hogan during the hearing. "Educating consumers about fraud is key to protecting them from falling victim to scams."

Testifiers at the hearing included Fred Harran, Bucks County sheriff; Jennifer Schorn, Bucks County district attorney; Nicolette Brown, director of customer care at PECO; Jeane Vidoni, CEO of Penn Community Bank; and Rick Cimakasky, director of fraud and security management at Penn Community Bank.

"Criminal activity targeting Pennsylvania’s aging population – or any population – is atrocious," stated Kail. "I strongly encourage all Pennsylvania businesses and consumers to determine their vulnerabilities and put safeguards in place."

The hearing emphasized the importance of reporting suspected scams to the police promptly and advised individuals to run annual credit reports to verify the accuracy of their activity. Various tools and resources were recommended, many of which can be found on Hogan's website, rephogan.com/FraudScaminfo.

The event coincided with National Consumer Protection Week, which aims to raise awareness about consumer rights and prevent fraudulent activities. The speakers highlighted that while no one is immune to fraud, older populations are particularly vulnerable.

In his closing remarks, Hogan expressed gratitude to law enforcement for holding criminals accountable and praised community leaders like PECO and Penn Community Bank for their efforts to protect consumers.

To access the full hearing, interested individuals can click on the provided link.