Antitrust Law Daily Wrap Up, CONSUMER PROTECTION NEWS: House bill would establish FTC-DoJ Task Force on cyber scams, (Nov 18, 2025)
Organizations Mentioned:AARP | U.S. Postal Service
By Tom Leithauser, tom.leithauser@wolterskluwer.com
The bipartisan bill is backed by several interest groups, including the AARP which says it as will help prevent scams and bring justice to their victims.
The Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice would be directed to lead an interagency task force to address cyber and telemarketing scams under bipartisan House legislation. The Strategic Task Force on Scam Prevention Act (H.R. 5967, 119th Cong. (2025)) was introduced by Rep. Robert Menendez (D., N.J.) and has 12 co-sponsors, including one Republican, Rep. Erin Houchin (R., Ind.).
“As scams surge during the holiday season, this legislation establishes a federal task force to develop a national strategy to address scams and lower the risk of financial losses as a result of fraudulent activity,” Rep. Menendez said in a news release.
The bill would direct the FTC and DoJ to lead an interagency task force with representatives from the departments of State, Treasury, Veterans Affairs, and Homeland Security; and the FCC, Securities and Exchange Commission, Social Security Administration, and U.S. Postal Service.
The task force’s job would be to “develop and implement a national strategy to address scams,” according to the bill’s text. It would “collaborate with banks, tech companies, social media platforms, state attorneys general, and local law enforcement to detect and disrupt scams more effectively,” Rep. Menendez said.
“With scams becoming more sophisticated, we need a coordinated national strategy to protect American consumers,” he said. “In 2024 alone, New Jersey residents reported losing more than $430 million to cybercriminals.”
“Too many families and seniors across New Jersey are targeted by bad actors online and over the phone. This bipartisan legislation will help streamline efforts for the federal government to partner with both corporations and law enforcement to stop scams earlier, protect victims, and strengthen trust in our digital economy,” he added.
The bill was endorsed by, among others, CTIA. “We applaud the bipartisan work of Representatives Menendez and Houchin to bring together key stakeholders across government agencies, industry and law enforcement to combat spam and protect consumers,” said Kelly Cole, CTIA’s senior vice president–government affairs. “This interagency task force will be a vital tool in educating Americans and strengthening our collective ability to detect bad actors and prevent fraudulent activity across the digital ecosystem.”
News: ConsumerProtection FederalTradeCommissionNews