Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) introduced the bipartisan Veterans Protection from Fraud Act to establish a sentencing enhancement of up to ten years in prison for anyone convicted of committing or conspiring to commit fraud that targets a veteran. U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.-02) introduced the companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
“Our nation’s veterans, who bravely served our country in defense of our freedoms, have become the primary targets of criminal fraud schemes. Those who attempt to defraud our service members must face strict criminal penalties for their actions. I am proud to join Senator Cortez Masto to ensure these criminals are held accountable under federal law,” said Senator Budd.
“Every day, our service members risk everything to protect our homeland and defend our freedoms. The least we can do when these brave men and women come home is ensure that we protect their financial wellbeing from those bad actors who target them because of their service. With this bill, we can crack down on the fraudsters who try to scam our veterans,” said Senator Cortez Masto.
“Veterans put their lives on the line for us at home and abroad. Our duty is to protect them when they return. I am proud to have introduced this legislation in the House, and I appreciate Senator Cortez Masto and Senator Budd for protecting our veterans in the Senate,” said Representative Burchett.
Read the full bill text HERE.
BACKGROUND
In 2023, our nation’s veterans, service members, and their families had $477 million stolen due to fraud schemes. Federal law already includes a sentencing enhancement for fraud crimes targeting senior citizens, but there are no similar criminal penalties for fraudsters who target veterans.
Veterans Protection from Fraud Act:
• Deters criminals from defrauding veterans by increasing penalties to up to ten years in prison.
• Applies sentencing enhancements to fraud offenses, including false document fraud, device fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, broad fraudulent schemes, bank fraud, and health care fraud.
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