Consumer measure passes

Sen. Kay Floyd, D-Oklahoma City, has won unanimous Senate approval for legislation strengthening protections for consumers. Senate Bill 871 would make it a violation of the Oklahoma Consumer Protection Act to pose as a state agency representative in a letter or advertisement to scam citizens.

“It’s called an imposter scam. A citizen will get a letter that looks like it’s from a state agency or state official telling them they need to file certain documents and requiring a fee in order for the paperwork to be filed. In reality, those documents can often be filed online by the consumer for free, or at least at a lower cost,” Floyd said. “This legislation is aimed at stopping those types of scammers.”

Floyd said imposter scams are the most common form of fraud reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Nearly 985,000 complaints about imposter scams were filed in 2021 alone. Floyd said it’s a problem that’s only getting worse.

“Nationwide, consumers were ripped off for more than $2.3 billion in 2021, nearly double the 2020 total,” Floyd said. “Adding this crime to our consumer protection statutes gives us one more tool for fighting these scammers.”

SB 871 now moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration. The House principal author is Rep. Meloyde Blancett, D-Tulsa.

State officials have claimed it was the best option for paying off the high costs, but some have continued to question why Oklahomans were on the hook for billions, especially as utility rates have recently increased.

Earlier last week, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission also voted to hire an outside official to reexamine some of the fuel purchases made by companies during in 2021.

The measure approved by the commission instructs the agency's public utilities division and the attorney general to work together to hire an outside firm.

Commission Chairman Todd Hiett said he proposed the measure to assure the public, not because he had concerns.

From The Oklahoman