Financial scam are top priority for Attorney General-elect Phil Weiser
Inauguration Day for Colorado’s newly-elected leaders is just 29 days away, but some, including Attorney General-elect Phil Weiser, are already thinking about how to tackle their top priorities.
In a one-on-one interview, KRDO sat down with Weiser for a look at the items atop his 2019 agenda. An issue that leads his list is one we can all relate to: financial scams.
During the campaign, Weiser said, “Ten percent of the job is criminal prosecution. The rest is a range of other legal issues.”
The most important on his list is consumer protection. We heard his plans revolving around consumer protection quite a but during the campaign.
In nearly every debate, he brought up how he used his skills in this area at the U.S. Department of Justice under two different presidents.
So how will he prioritize fighting scams? Weiser said the answer is three-fold.
“First, we need them to cut off access, so that more people don’t get taken advantage of,” he said.
What Weiser means by cutting off access is fixing programs that aren’t working, like the “Do Not Call List.”
“The Federal Communications Commission has the authority to address it … I will be, from day one, a leader nationally with other state AGs to say to the FCC: how can we better protect the people,” said Weiser.
Second is implementing better technology.
“We have to find ways to know whether numbers or calls are legitimate,” he said.
For example, Weiser suggested a “spam” folder for our phone.
“What if people said they think a phone call is not legitimate and it would go straight to their voicemail,” Weiser said.
Third, is increasing the fines and penalties for those scammers caught.
“Sometimes these are very sophisticated actors who might not even be in our country. In those cases, having technology that builds in a protection for people will be super important,” he said.
Weiser also plans to beef up Colorado’s Community Outreach Department to help seniors learn how to identify a scam versus a legitimate offer.
