Latest news with #SenateBill1083
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Oklahoma legislation would help victims of scammers
Imagine an Oklahoma grandmother, savings in hand, rushing to a corner store's cryptocurrency ATM because a voice on the phone claims her grandson is in jail. She feeds $5,000 into the machine, believing she's saving him. Instead, she has just been robbed ― her money zapped into a scammer's digital wallet, gone forever. This is not a rare story. It's happening across Oklahoma, where criminals are turning cryptocurrency ATMs, also called digital asset or bitcoin kiosks, into tools for theft, draining millions from our communities. Criminals pose as authorities, bank officials, computer tech support or even loved ones, spinning tales of urgent crises: 'Your account has been hacked — send cash now!' or 'Pay this fine through the ATM to avoid arrest!' The individual is then directed to insert money into a cryptocurrency ATM via QR code, where the funds are immediately transferred to the criminal's digital asset wallet. More: Scammers often target seniors. Here are tips that can help you protect yourself, loved ones Thankfully, help is on the way. Senate Bill 1083 by Sen. Darrell Weaver and Rep. Mark Lepak tackles this crisis head-on. Cryptocurrency ATMs, unlike other regulated financial institutions, lack state-level fraud protections and oversight. SB 1083 adds targeted safeguards, mandating that new customers who fall victim to cryptocurrency ATM fraud may receive a refund if they report the incident within 14 days to law enforcement and the ATM operator. Additionally, it imposes daily transaction limits to mitigate the risks associated with higher transaction amounts. To further protect consumers, the bill requires posting fraud warning notices at ATMs that detail steps individuals should take if they suspect fraudulent activity. ATM operators' fees are capped, and they are required to refund fees on fraudulent transactions. Senate Bill 1083 will also authorize the Oklahoma Banking Department to oversee licensure within the state, monitor complaint activity and revoke operator licenses if they receive multiple consumer complaints. Scammers often trick vulnerable people — often elderly — into sending them thousands of dollars to resolve fake problems. A new law introduced in the Oklahoma Legislature would help recovery efforts. The numbers tell a grim story. The FBI's 2024 Internet Crime Report shows a 99 percent spike in cryptocurrency ATM-related fraud complaints nationwide, with losses up 31 percent from 2023. Older adults are prime targets, losing more than $107 million as scammers exploit their trust. In Oklahoma, these cryptocurrency-related scams including those involving ATMs cost residents $37.7 million in 2024. This data reflects only reported cases, with actual losses much higher due to unreported scams. More: Guest column: Ignoring unknown calls could save you from scammers Oklahoma's lawmakers have a choice: protect our families or let criminals exploit this loophole. Passing SB 1083 is not just a vote for stronger laws — it is a stand for our neighbors, our families, our communities. Every Oklahoman deserves protection from this digital con. Now is the time for our lawmakers to vote yes on this bill and for Gov. Stitt to sign it into law. Make your voice heard: tell lawmakers to vote yes on SB 1083 by going to Let's make Oklahoma a place where digital innovation lifts us up, not leaves us broke. Jeff Miller Jeff Miller is an AARP Oklahoma executive council member and an AARP Fraud Watch Network volunteer. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Helping elderly people who are scam targets | Opinion
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Dismantle DEI Act won't create equality. It will maintain disadvantage
As someone who has spent the last several years helping justice-impacted individuals, especially Black and brown youth, find meaningful pathways in education and employment, I've seen up close what a lack of opportunity looks like — and what intentional inclusion can do to change that. That's why the Tennessee House of Representatives' swift passage of the 'Dismantle DEI Act' (House Bill 622) by a 73-to-24 vote on April 17 should alarm everyone in the state, regardless of political affiliation. This wasn't just a vote. It was a clear refusal to engage in the democratic process over a matter that affects thousands of lives and futures across this state. On April 22, the Tennessee Senate voted 27-6 to approve companion Senate Bill 1083. It now goes to Gov. Bill Lee for his consideration before becoming law. Supporters of the bill argue that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts amount to discrimination − even calling them 'communist' and 'racist.' But let's step away from slogans and look at the facts. A 2023 report by McKinsey & Company found that companies with diverse executive teams were 39% more likely to outperform their peers on profitability. In higher education, DEI programs have led to increased enrollment and graduation rates among first-generation students, students of color, and low-income students − all demographics that are traditionally underserved in Tennessee. That's not ideology. That's impact. Tennessee's public universities serve a student body that is increasingly diverse. At the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, students of color made up more than 20% of the 2023 incoming freshman class. DEI programs aren't about favoritism — they are about ensuring that all students, regardless of where they come from, have a fair shot at success. Removing those supports doesn't create equality. It just maintains old systems that already disadvantage the few. And if you want to talk about fairness, let's talk about how the bill was passed. There was no debate. No discussion. A quick procedural move was used to silence dissent. That's not transparency. That's suppression. If DEI is so dangerous, why not let it be debated openly on the floor? As a Black business owner, a nonprofit founder, and someone who's successfully navigated reentry after over a decade behind bars, I know what happens when the system doesn't see you. I also know what happens when it finally does. I am a product of second chances and deliberate inclusion. The people I now serve − youth in crisis, men and women returning home from incarceration − are proof that inclusion works. Equity isn't about making people special. It's about making opportunity real. By dismantling DEI, the legislature isn't protecting fairness. They're dismantling progress. And doing it without debate? That tells me they were never interested in listening to the people who would be most affected. We deserve better. Our students, our workforce, our future — they all depend on it. Tristan Buckner is the founder of Live X-perience, a nonprofit serving at-risk youth and justice-impacted individuals in Tennessee. He is also the developer of several reentry and workforce development programs for correctional facilities and returning citizens. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee's Dismantle DEI Act is dismantling progress | Opinion
