WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR), John Cornyn (R-TX), Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Angus King (I-ME) introduced the Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion (VSAFE) Act, legislation that establishes a Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to help protect veterans from fraud and scams.

“With scammers increasingly targeting our veterans, we should ensure they have advocates in their corner helping them avoid or mitigate any potential harm and providing helpful resources to fight back,” said Boozman. “I’m proud to join Sen. Cornyn on this legislation to protect those who have worn our nation’s uniform from fraud and the senseless havoc it causes.”

“Texas is proudly home to more veterans than any other state, and it is imperative that we do everything in our power to protect our nation’s heroes from predatory scams,” said Cornyn. “I am proud to introduce legislation that will combat this growing threat by creating a dedicated officer at the VA responsible for preventing and reporting fraud schemes that target veterans.”

“We owe veterans a debt that we will never be able to repay, but we must work every day to ensure that they have the support that they need and deserve,” said Hassan. “This bipartisan legislation will help veterans by ensuring the VA has a centralized and coordinated effort under the leadership of an officer solely dedicated to preventing and responding to fraud and scams that target our nation’s heroes.” 

“Veterans in Maine and across the country gave their best while protecting our nation and they deserve to be looked out for in their civilian lives,” said King. “We owe it to the men and women who served to ensure they have the resources to protect themselves from predatory scams and bad actors preying on vulnerabilities. The bipartisan Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion (VSAFE) Act will help mitigate future threats to their income and credit by establishing a special office within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to better combat fraud and scams. It’s a simple way to keep true to our promise to care for our veterans.” 

In 2023, veterans and military retirees reported losing more than $350 million to fraud, according to the Federal Trade Commission. While the VA offers tools such as a hotline and informational site to help veterans avoid scams, the VSAFE Act would formally establish a Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer within the agency. The role would lead prevention efforts, streamline scam reporting, coordinate incident response and serve as a central point of contact connecting veterans and their families with trusted tools to detect and recover from fraud. 

Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-41) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.