An Update from Trent Ashby

Date:

While some suggest that the general sense of patriotism is dipping across America, I am happy to report that pride for the United States was as prevalent as ever in House District 57 over the July 4th holiday weekend. I had the honor of participating in a parade with countless others dressed in red, white and blue to show their undying love for our beloved country. I capped off the holiday weekend with some much needed family time, and it is my hope that you and yours had some time to reflect on the many blessings we, as proud Americans, enjoy. God bless the USA!

With that, here’s this week’s legislative update. . .

Legislative Update

Over the last year or two, you may have heard or read articles about the latest practice of fraudulent activity — card skimming. This occurs when a microchip is attached to the device patrons use to swipe their debit or credit card, allowing criminals to extract data from the card to access personal accounts, or even steal an individual’s identity. Some reports of captured card skimmers have shown monthly gains of over $60,000 from unsuspecting patrons. Further, Texas accounts for nearly one-third of all financial losses nationwide from the practice of card skimming. With that in mind, the Texas Legislature took action against this practice during the most recent legislative session by passing measures strengthening civil and criminal penalties, instituting jurisdictional boundaries, and cracking down on criminals caught with multiple counterfeit cards and skimming devices.

Another deceitful tactic used by those trying to take advantage of hardworking Texans is the practice of “caller ID spoofing.” We’ve all answered calls from a number with a familiar area code and been frustrated when we realize that the call was just another solicitation. As technology has continued to evolve, telemarketing companies have developed strategies to use fraudulent caller identification numbers to increase connectivity with those they solicit. Given the recent rise in this deceitful practice, the Texas Legislature passed a law that will ensure the number that appears on someone’s caller ID matches the number of the third party, or the entity that has contracted with the third party for the solicitations purpose. In the event that you have blocked a telemarketing number and they’ve still managed to contact you, this law should help stop these phone calls by allowing the Office of the Attorney to prosecute telemarketing companies who continue to misrepresent their identity.

Reminders

With a busy schedule of events in House District 57 throughout the month of July, the mobile office will suspend the regular Wednesday schedule until August 7th. For any questions you may

have, or issues you need help resolving, please reach out to our district office at (936) 634-2762 or our Capitol office at (512) 463-0508 anytime Monday-Friday from 8:00am-5:00pm. We will make every effort to respond to your needs.

Rep. Trent Ashby
Trent Ashby is honored to be representing District 57 in the Texas House of Representatives. House District 57 includes Angelina, Houston, Leon, Madison, San Augustine and Trinity Counties. He can be reached at (512) 463-0508, (936)634-2762, or by email at trentashby@house.state.tx.us.

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