I'm doing this not just for my grandmother and my family, but for all California families, so they don't have to to through what we're going through.
Matthew Sugiyama
Our story
My name is Matthew Sugiyama. I'm 15 years old and a student at Campolindo High School in Moraga, California.
My 80-year-old grandmother was scammed out of most of her life's savings. My grandmother's life has been shattered. When a senior is scammed, it doesn’t just affect a single individual - it affects their entire family. Our family and countless other families have suffered at the hands of unscrupulous scammers.
There's little hope seniors can retrieve the money stolen by scammers. But Senate Bill 278 can make a difference for so many people who have been victimized.
We believe banks that facilitate these transactions need to do more to protect their most vulnerable customers. Senate Bill 278 (SB 278)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.
As Sen. Dodd said, the bill will motivate financial institutions to "detect predatory practices before victims are robbed of their resources, dignity and quality of life – losses from which they may never recover.”
Elder rights advocates support SB 278. Consumer Attorneys of California support SB 278. I support SB 278. We hope you'll join us in voicing your support!