NCJ Number
99847
Date Published
1985
Length
7 pages
Annotation
H.R. 2544 (Fraudulent Youth Employment Practices Act), which targets the deceptive recruitment and abuse of youth employed to conduct door-to-door sales, would provide no more effective proscriptions for such fraud and abuse than now exist for other types of fraud involving nongovernmental victims.
Abstract
Problems in the recruitment and use of juveniles in door-to-door sales do not appear to be nationwide, and where they do exist, they are susceptible to State and local remedies. If the behavior involves schemes which make false representations and inducements, the Federal criminal statutes applicable are the mail fraud, wire fraud, and interstate transportation or travel statutes. The companies involved would be subject to such statutes should violations occur in advertising for salespersons in newspapers, on radio, or over television. The travel statute would not apply unless recruits were transported across State lines and defrauded of money and property valued at $5,000 or more. Overall, the Justice Department advises against the passage of H.R. 2544, because the problem addressed is not nationwide and is sufficiently covered under existing Federal statutes.