WRITTEN QUESTION No. 219/99 by María SORNOSA MARTÍNEZ Swindling of retired people in connection with the introduction of the euro
6. 11. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 320/131 The Commission is indeed considering including the advice of professional geologists in the regional 6. reconstruction programme in Central America to the extent that the nature of the projects currently under identification so require. (1) COM(96) 46 final. (1999/C 320/175) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0219/99 by María Sornosa Martínez (PSE) to the Commission (12 February 1999) Subject: Swindling of retired people in connection with the introduction of the euro The introduction of the euro is providing cause for concern for some sectors of the population which lack information on the single currency. Specifically, the city of Barcelona and its industrial areas are seeing a large number of cases where elderly people are being deceived by swindlers posing as bank staff. These criminals are offering to exchange the national currency held by elderly people for the new European notes, which do not yet exist. Bearing in mind the recommendations made by Parliament in adopting report A4-0415/97 (1) at the end of 1997, in which it urged the Commission to pay particular attention to the elderly as a sector of the population, conducting information campaigns which should not be reduced to mere publicity-type campaigning but should be extended to the main aspects of economic life which involve the use of money by groups vulnerable to fraud and abuse, and bearing in mind that, in that report, Parliament called for additional consumer- protection measures to be introduced at European level, has the Commission taken any initiative to provide information on the introduction of the euro to those people who are most vulnerable to fraud and abuse? Has the Commission drawn up any specific campaigns geared to various sections of the population such as the elderly? What further measures does the Commission intend to introduce at European level to protect consumers as recommended by Parliament in the above report? (1) OJ C 34, 2. 2. 1998, p. 38. (1999/C 320/176) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0350/99 by Joaquín Sisó Cruellas (PPE) to the Commission (23 February 1999) Subject: Fraud involving euros A number of cases have been reported to the Barcelona police where attempts have been made to defraud pensioners in connection with the third stage of EMU. The swindle is always the same: a well-dressed young man pays a visit to pensioners claiming to be a representative of the financial institute in which they keep their savings. He tells them that the peseta will soon cease to be legal tender and that, consequently, they need to exchange it for euros, offering to do so on their behalf as a service provided by the bank. Some victims have lost up to 80 000 pesetas and similar cases of fraud have taken place in other towns in Catalonia. Recently, Commissioner De Silguy said that in order to ensure that citizens cope with the transition to the euro, account will need to be taken of priority sections of the population such as consumers, women and vulnerable groups such as the elderly and the disabled. In view of the events described above, has Mr Silguy considered the possibility of adopting specific measures to avoid, in so far as possible, such things happening to the most vulnerable sections of society in particular?