SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — New proposed legislation could help elderly San Diegans tricked into giving money to scammers.
Senate Bill 278, proposed by State Sen. Bill Dodd, would clarify that victims of financial elder abuse “can continue to hold institutions accountable when they should have known of the fraud but negligently assisted in the transfer anyway.”
The legislation would strengthen existing law. It is something Ave Williams said is sorely needed.
“We have to expect more from our banks [and] the people who protect our assets,” Williams said.
Her parents were scammed out of nearly $700,000.They were tricked by a fake online purchase and were told by scammers to wire money oversees through their bank to fix the issue.
Her parents have never wired money abroad before. William Bortz said instead of questioning the transfers, a bank representative asked if he would consider being a client of their private banking because he had assets to invest.
The story of what happened to the Bortz family has been highlighted by the Consumer Attorneys of California, the co-sponsor of this legislation.
“If out of the nightmare of what happened to my parents, we can get a law to protect other people’s parents and grandparents, that would truly be a dream come true to me,” Williams said.
There is currently an ongoing federal lawsuit in the Bortz case.
A Chase spokesperson previously told Team 10 that while Mr. Bortz is entitled to make a dispute, “the federal court has already dismissed his claim twice.”
According to the Consumer Attorneys of California, the bill will face its first hurdle before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the upcoming weeks.
