April 22, 2010
Media Contact: Jenn Meale
Phone: (850) 245-0150
Attorney General Presents $125,000 Check to Seniors vs. Crime Program
TAMPA, FL – Attorney General Bill McCollum today presented the Seniors vs. Crime Program with a $125,000 check from a settlement recently obtained by the Attorney General’s Economic Crimes Division.
“The Seniors vs. Crime program is an incredible resource for Florida seniors, and I am honored to present these funds to help further their efforts to protect citizens from fraud,” said Attorney General McCollum.
As part of the Attorney General’s Seniors vs. Crime program, “Senior Sleuths” help educate Floridians about consumer-related fraud. Senior Sleuths staff over 40 office locations and have volunteered over 95,000 hours since 2007, helping to educate their fellow seniors about fraud. In just three years, Seniors vs. Crime has handled over 8,800 cases and has referred hundreds of cases to law enforcement for criminal prosecution. Due to their dedication, the Sleuths have recovered $3.1 million for senior citizens and have showed a realized gain of over $2 million, which is the value of services rendered to seniors that would not have occurred without the Seniors vs. Crime intervention.
“This check for $125,000 is approximately one-third of the Seniors vs. Crime total annual operating budget,” said Seniors vs. Crime Executive Director Don Ravenna. “This money will be well spent training our Senior Sleuths, educating Florida seniors in crime prevention and paying for routine expenses that are incurred providing the offices and equipment needed to assist seniors who have become victimized. We greatly appreciate the Attorney General's continued support for this most worthwhile program.”
The check is from a recent consumer protection settlement resolving allegations that Certegy Check Services, Inc., a financial services company, did not provide adequate data security for consumer records, leading to a massive security breach that compromised the personal identification information of its customers. Under the settlement, the company will ensure that safeguards are in place to protect consumer data and Certegy and its related entities will also adhere to payment card industry data security standards as those standards continue to evolve.