With online scams costing Americans billions of dollars in losses every year, U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin (R-IN) recently offered a bipartisan bill aimed at addressing this growing wave of fraud and financial deception.
“Every day, scammers find new ways to target hard-working Americans, especially seniors and families who can least afford it,” Rep. Houchin said on Nov. 21. “We have a responsibility to ensure the federal government and law enforcement are working together to stop it. This effort is about holding bad actors accountable and protecting consumers from fraud.”
The congresswoman on Nov. 7 signed on as the lead original cosponsor of the Strategic Task Force on Scam Prevention Act, H.R. 5967, which is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-NJ) and 11 other original cosponsors.
If enacted, H.R. 5967 would direct the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to convene an interagency task force that would develop a comprehensive national scam prevention strategy to improve consumer education, foster collaboration with international partners, and support scam victims.
The task force also would collaborate with banks, tech companies, social media platforms, state attorneys general, and local law enforcement to detect and disrupt scams more effectively, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
“With scams becoming more sophisticated, we need a coordinated national strategy to protect American consumers,” said Rep. Menendez. “This bipartisan legislation will help streamline efforts for the federal government to partner with both corporations and law enforcement to stop scams earlier, protect victims, and strengthen trust in our digital economy.”
The measure is supported by CTIA – The Wireless Association, AARP, the National Consumers League, and the North American Securities Administrators Association, and is under consideration by both the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee and the U.S. House Judiciary Committee.