Congressman Morgan McGarvey Introduces Bill to Protect Veterans Against Scams and Fraud
WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 09, 2023) – Today, as Americans prepare to honor our military veterans on Veterans Day, Congressman Morgan McGarvey (KY-03) introduced the Veteran and Servicemember Consumer Protection Act. This bill gives the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) new authorities to crack down on fraud and scams targeting veterans and servicemembers.
“Veterans who have served our country and those who serve today have earned the right to enjoy every single dollar of their earned benefits,” said Rep. McGarvey. “Unfortunately, veterans and servicemembers are considerably more likely than their civilian counterparts to be targeted by criminals. This is unacceptable. My bill gives the Federal Trade Commission the tools it needs to prevent identity theft, phishing schemes, robocalls, and other scams seeking to steal from those who have served and continue to serve today.”
Veterans and servicemembers - especially those who receive disability compensation and other cash benefits - are criminals’ preferred targets for scams and fraud. According to the AARP,
78 percent of veterans report schemes designed to take advantage of their service benefits, and 16 percent of veterans have reported losing money to fraud. In 2021, according to FTC data, veterans, servicemembers, and their families lost $267 million to fraud.
The Veteran and Servicemember Consumer Protection Act directs the FTC to create a coordinator position within the Bureau of Consumer Protection to prevent fraud targeting veterans and servicemembers and to monitor mail, TV, robocalls, and other fraud schemes targeting them. The coordinator will be required to consult with other federal agencies to educate veterans and servicemembers on how criminals target them and provide information on how to report attempted fraud. The bill also requires the FTC to maintain a website with resources on how veterans can protect themselves from fraud.
Text of the bill can be found here.
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Congressman Morgan McGarvey represents Kentucky’s Third Congressional District, including Louisville and Jefferson County. He serves on the House Veterans Affairs and House Small Business Committees.