Washington, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and Congressman Mike Bost (R-IL) introduced the Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion (VSAFE) Act to prevent our veterans from falling victim to fraudulent attacks that endanger them and their livelihoods.
“I am proud to introduce the Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Act to establish a Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer in the Department of Veterans Affairs, addressing concerns of our veterans and their families in Upstate New York and across America by streamlining fraud prevention efforts within the Department of Veterans Affairs,” said Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. “This bill will provide our veterans with consistent guidance on identifying, reporting, and avoiding fraud and scam attempts. Our veterans have sacrificed so much to protect our country and my duty in Congress is to bring their concerns to the highest levels of government.”
“VA must do everything they can to protect veterans’ hard-earned benefits from fraudsters and scammers because unfortunately, the bad guys still exist. Which is why I’m so grateful to my friend and colleague, Chairwoman Stefanik, for leading the Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Act of 2023. This commonsense proposal would build on VA’s efforts to enhance their cybersecurity, fraud, and scam protection efforts into one centralized place to protect veterans and keep pace with today’s digital world. I look forward to considering this important bill in Committee soon,” said Chairman Mike Bost.
The Federal Trade Commission estimated that there were over 70,000 reports of fraud against veterans in 2022 alone. There are many groups working in a disjointed manner to combat fraud within the VA and other federal agencies. This legislation will enable a comprehensive effort that will greatly benefit our veterans by establishing a Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer in the Department of Veterans Affairs who is responsible for all fraud prevention efforts. This will provide our veterans with consistent guidance on how to identify, report, and avoid fraud and scam attempts.
Additionally, this bill promotes identity theft resources, calls on the VA to develop training plans to effectively field fraud and scam inquiries, and enables coordination with other federal departments, agencies, and Veteran Service Officers for a whole-of-government approach to fraud prevention.
