Protecting American Taxpayers Act

326. Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer

(a) Establishment. There is in the Veterans Experience Office of the Department a Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer, who shall—

(1) be responsible for consumer fraud and scam prevention, reporting, and incident response plans at the Department; and

(2) serve as a central point of contact to direct employees, veterans, and beneficiaries to resources to prevent and mitigate consumer fraud and scams.

(b) Responsibilities. The Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer shall carry out the following responsibilities:

(1) Providing comprehensive communication from the Secretary to employees of the Department and veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors during strategic and time-sensitive fraud and scam incidents.

(2) Providing consistent guidance developed with the Inspector General of the Department for employees as well as veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors on how to identify, report, and avoid fraud and scam attempts.

(3) Promoting the VSAFE Fraud Hotline and VSAFE.gov website of the Department (and any successor resources) and identifying other identity theft resources available to veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors, including with respect to actions made by the Secretary to protect the identities of veterans and their beneficiaries.

(4) Developing methods to monitor consumer fraud and scam metrics within the Department to facilitate proactive and robust trend identification and report internally and annually to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives.

(5) Coordinating with the Inspector General of the Department to provide training for Department employees on fielding fraud and scam inquiries and reports.

(6) Working with the Inspector General of the Department—

(A) to coordinate with other relevant agencies and departments; and

(B) to identify the proper avenues for veterans to report fraud and scam attempts and receive assistance.

(7) Consulting with veterans service organizations and State, local, and Tribal governments, as necessary, to improve understanding of potential fraud and scam risks to veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors.

(c) Full-time employees. Nothing in this section authorizes an increase in the number of full-time employees otherwise authorized for the Department.

(d) Rule of construction. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit, diminish, or otherwise affect the authority of the Office of Inspector General of the Department to prevent, detect, and prosecute fraud, waste, and abuse in Department programs and operations. The responsibilities of the Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer shall be exercised in coordination and not supersede or interfere with the authorities provided to the Inspector General in this title or in chapter 4 of title 5 (commonly referred to as the Inspector General Act of 1978).

(e) Sunset. The requirements and authorities of this section shall terminate on September 30, 2030.

(f) Definition of consumer fraud. In this section, the term consumer fraud means deceptive, unfair, or illegal practices that deceive veterans into giving money, personal information, or property primarily as it relates to their personal or family use that does not have a nexus to Department programs and operations.

326. Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer.