Navigation Bill Introduced to Make Defrauding Veterans a Federal Crime
A bipartisan bill recently reintroduced in the Senate would make defrauding Veterans of their benefits a federal crime. This bill would make fraudulent schemes that target Veterans benefits punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine or both.
According to data released by the FTC in February 2022, reports of fraud against Veterans, service members, and spouses jumped 69% in 2021 compared to the previous year. Veterans and military retirees reported being targeted the most with 87,343 fraud reports. The total fraud cases reported by military consumers resulted in an estimated $266 million lost.
