Attorney General Lynn Fitch
The Attorneys General wrote a letter in response to the FTC’s Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Request for Public Comment concerning impersonation scams.
On Tuesday, Attorney General Lynn Fitch helped lead a bipartisan coalition of 49 Attorneys General in asking the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to create robust rules for outlawing impersonation scams.
“Our office has a good toolbox for fighting impersonation scams under the Mississippi Consumer Protection Act,” said Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “But these scams often transcend state lines, and working together, we can better reduce consumer harm, maximize consumer benefits, and hold the bad actors accountable.”
The Attorneys General wrote the letter in response to the FTC’s Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Request for Public Comment concerning impersonation scams.
“Overall, Attorneys General believe there is a pressing need for FTC rulemaking to address the scourge of impersonation scams impacting consumers across the United States,” the letter states. “A national rule that encompasses and outlaws such commonly experienced scams discussed herein would assist Attorneys General and their partners in reducing consumer harm, maximizing consumer benefits, and holding bad actors to account.”
The officials write that State Attorneys General play an important role in the prevention and redress of the harm these impostors cause, but a robust enforcement scheme at the federal level would help deter bad actors and reduce consumer harm.
“The quantity and variety of the cases the states have seen manifest a need for new regulation from the Federal Trade Commission targeting government and business impersonation scams. Such scams are pervasive across the country and undermine the public’s trust in government correspondence and business communications. When a specific type of unfair or deceptive business practice becomes so prevalent, Commission rulemaking is appropriate. Attorneys general welcome these efforts as part of their ongoing collaborative relationship with the FTC,” the letter continues.
The Attorneys General state that any regulation that the FTC propounds should consider the viewpoints of all stakeholders and the ultimate goal of the Commission’s rulemaking should always be to reduce consumer harm and maximize consumer benefits.
You can read the full comment letter from the bipartisan coalition of Attorneys General below.
AG Fitch leads a multistate coalition to fight impersonation scams by yallpolitics on Scribd
Anne Summerhays
