Schmidt introduces bill to coordinate federal response to scams
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Derek Schmidt (KS-2) this week joined in leading a bipartisan group of Senators and Representatives to introduce legislation requiring the federal government to better coordinate its work to fight scams and protect consumers, particularly seniors.
The National Strategy for Combating Scams Act would require coordination among the numerous federal agencies that have jurisdiction over different aspects of fraud and scams. The bill also would require federal agencies to improve anti-scam coordination with state and local authorities.
Each year, Americans lose billions of dollars to scams and fraud. While all Americans can be targets, scammers often disproportionately target seniors and may be particularly aggressive during the holiday season.
“As a former Kansas attorney general, nothing makes my blood boil more than crooks and scam artists who ripoff billions of dollars each year from Americans, particularly preying on our seniors,” Schmidt said. “Too often, the alphabet soup bureaucracy of federal agencies assigned to protect Americans from scammers get stuck in their individual silos of responsibility and jurisdiction. Our bill is aimed at coordinating the federal response to scams and improving the cooperation among the authorities who are supposed to stop them and protect Kansans.”
The National Strategy for Combating Scams Act (H.R. 6425) would establish a federal working group led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to coordinate the efforts of more than a dozen federal agencies in combating scams. The working group would also be tasked with increasing coordination with Federal, State, local and Tribal governments. Schmidt is the Republican co-lead on the bill, introduced yesterday together with Congressman Gabe Amo (D-RI-1). Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Rick Scott (R-FL), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and Ashley Moody (R-FL).
“Too many Rhode Islanders have been taken for a ride by scammers skimming their pockets and stealing their hard-earned money, leaving many devastated and destitute,” Amo said. “I’m proud to introduce these bipartisan measures, one of which is also bicameral, to ensure we are addressing the rising scam threat in a coordinated and strategic manner. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and the Senate as the national strategy is developed to keep fighting scammers and keep Rhode Islanders’ money where it belongs, in their pockets.”
In addition to the National Strategy for Combating Scams Act, Schmidt has cosponsored the STOP Scams Against Seniors Act (H.R. 6426) which would authorize the use of federal grant funds to establish and support Elder Justice Task Forces to help local, state, and federal agencies work together to investigate and prosecute illegal scammers. Schmidt also cosponsored a resolution (H.Res. 931) supporting the designation of December 4 as “National Scam Prevention Day.”
During his prior service as Kansas attorney general, that office recovered a record-setting amount of money from scammers and returned it to Kansas consumers. Schmidt also previously chaired the national consumer protection committee of the National Association of Attorneys General.