H.R. 5683 — Military Consumer Protection Task Force Act of 2025

This section states congressional findings on financial fraud targeting members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and military families, including estimated losses of $477 million in 2023 (up $63 million from 2022) and $584 million in 2024 (up $107 million from 2023), as well as over 74,000 Federal Trade Commission fraud complaints from veterans and military retirees in 2023 resulting in $350 million losses and nearly 80,000 complaints in 2024 with $419 million losses. It concludes that these increases demand a robust, coordinated interagency approach to examine and counter such schemes.

This section establishes an Interagency Task Force on Financial Fraud, to be created by the Secretary of Defense in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs not later than 90 days after enactment, to identify methods of financial fraud targeting members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and military families and to recommend ways for federal agencies to prevent and combat it. The Task Force includes representatives from the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Department of Justice, Federal Communications Commission, Postal Inspection Service, and three nongovernmental organizations (at least one a veterans service organization). It must meet at least three times per calendar year; consult regularly with fraud victims, other federal agencies, and stakeholders such as state and local law enforcement, financial services providers, technology companies, and social media platforms; and carry out duties including (1) collecting data on financial challenges such as medical billing and debt collection, (2) identifying fraud methods (e.g., imposter scams, predatory lending, pension poaching), (3) evaluating risks from emerging technologies such as buy-now-pay-later credit, (4) assessing federal programs including the Military Lending Act and Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, and (5) developing recommendations. Not later than 180 days after enactment and annually thereafter, the Task Force must report its findings and recommendations to specified House and Senate committees on oversight, armed services, veterans' affairs, and homeland security/governmental affairs.