Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Ted Budd (R-N.C.) introduced the bipartisan Veterans Protection from Fraud Act, which would toughen penalties for fraudsters targeting veterans. Veterans are more likely to be targeted by robocalls, spam and junk messages, and scam solicitations than the average American, and Nevada has the third highest rate of fraud per capita in the U.S.
“Nevada veterans have put their lives on the line for this country, and we must do everything we can to stop scams targeting them,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “My bipartisan bill strengthens penalties for fraud against veterans and makes it more difficult for criminals to target them. I will keep working across the aisle to support Nevada veterans and their families.”
“The act of defrauding a veteran is disgraceful, and the punishment for it must be severe enough to serve as a deterrent,” said Senator Budd. “This bill sends a strong message that we will not allow America’s veterans to be victimized by criminals. Thank you to Senator Cortez Masto for leading this bipartisan legislation.”
The Veterans Protection from Fraud Act is supported by a broad coalition of veterans service organizations, including AARP, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Disabled American Veterans, Blinded American Veterans Foundation, The Retired Enlisted Association, American Gold Star Mothers, and VFW Nevada. It would increase penalties up to 10 years in prison for fraud targeting a veteran, such as fraud, mail fraud, general fraudulent schemes, and more.
The full text of the bill can be found HERE.
As the former top law enforcement official in Nevada, Senator Cortez Masto has been a leading voice in the fight to protect consumers from fraud and consistently cracked down on schemes targeting veterans. Cortez Masto passed the PACT Act to ensure combat veterans suffering from toxic exposure in the line of duty get their health benefits, the Brian Neuman Act to remove roadblocks for veterans accessing their benefits, and critical legislation to help veterans exposed to Agent Orange get the treatment they need. In 2021 she secured a deal with the Trump administration to build a veterans cemetery in Elko that Northern Nevada veterans had wanted for more than a decade.
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