PREPARED STATEMENT OF THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 

PROTECTING MILITARY SERVICEMEMBERS AND VETERANS FROM 

FINANCIAL SCAMS AND FRAUD 

Before the 

COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND REFORM 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY 

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

JULY 13, 2022 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I. INTRODUCTION 

Chairman Lynch, Ranking Member Grothman, and distinguished members of the 

Subcommittee, I am Malini Mithal, Associate Director of the Division of Financial Practices 

within the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission (Commission or 

FTC).1 I appreciate the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss financial fraud that 

affects the military community. 

Combatting financial fraud aimed at military consumers is an important part of the 

Commission’s law enforcement agenda. Some frauds exploit circumstances common to the 

military community, including the demands of deployment and frequent relocations. Others 

target recent enrollees who are living on their own and earning a paycheck for the first time. And 

some bad actors use false military affiliations or tout bogus offers for veterans in a cynical ploy 

to take advantage of servicemembers and their families. 

Military frauds cause great harm to individual victims and their families, and undermine 

military readiness and troop morale.2

 The Commission’s efforts to curb such nefarious practices 

is an essential component of our consumer protection mission. This testimony gives an overview 

of the FTC’s work to track and detect military fraud, enforcement actions involving the military 

community, as well as the FTC’s military-specific consumer education and outreach efforts. 

1 This written statement presents the view of the Federal Trade Commission. The oral statement and responses to 

questions reflect my own views and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Commission or any Commissioner. 

2 See Department of Defense, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Report on the 

Military Lending Act and the Effects of High Interest Rates on Readiness, May 2021, at 18 (noting that predatory 

financial practices can negatively impact financial readiness and, in turn, military readiness), available at 

https://finred.usalearning.gov/assets/downloads/FINRED-MLA ReportEffectsHighInterestRatesOnReadinessMay2021.pdf. 

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II. TRACKING AND DETECTING FRAUD THREATS 

The FTC’s enforcement and outreach work often flow from the Commission’s active 

monitoring of the marketplace, which allows us to understand, identify, and combat threats to 

both military consumers and the public at large. 

One of our most powerful tools in obtaining information about fraud is the FTC’s 

Consumer Sentinel Complaint Network, a secure online database of consumer reports. Sentinel 

includes complaints reported directly to the FTC as well as to dozens of state law enforcement 

organizations, other federal agencies, and non-governmental organizations such as the Better 

Business Bureau. Servicemembers and military civilians can provide service and installation 

details, giving vital information to government agencies, including Department of Defense law 

enforcers and policymakers.3 

The Commission monitors and analyzes Sentinel data with respect to both militaryspecific and other trends. This work informs the Commission’s consumer protection work, 

assists our law enforcement partners, and provides public transparency about high-level 

complaint patterns. In 2020, the Commission launched a new informational tool that identifies 

and makes public emerging trends, as revealed in Sentinel data, concerning problems military 

consumers are experiencing in the marketplace, including reported financial losses.4 

In 2021, Sentinel received over 200,000 complaints from military consumers, with 

reported monetary harm of over $267 million.5 The top complaint categories for military 

3 For example, out of the total reports from military consumers in 2021, 91% included military branch information 

and 80% included information about rank. 

4 https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/MilitaryReports/Infographic. 

5 These include reports from active duty servicemembers (18,544), military retirees/veterans (162,067), reservists 

and national guard members (10.914), and spouses and dependents of active duty servicemembers (14,711). 

Consumer Sentinel Data Book 2021 at 17, available at https://www.ftc.gov/reports/consumer-sentinel-network-databook-2021. 

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consumers were: identity theft; imposter scams;6 online shopping and negative reviews; credit 

reporting; banks and lenders; debt collection; scams involving prizes, sweepstakes and lotteries; 

fraudulent business and job opportunity offers; auto-related problems; and bogus investment 

schemes. 

We review these complaints to find potential law enforcement targets and witnesses, and 

to coordinate with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. 

III. ENFORCEMENT WORK 

FTC law enforcement actions illustrate some of the ways deceptive and unfair financial 

practices harm the military community. Our actions have gone after companies that have targeted 

the military community with false promises of earning or investment opportunities, deceptive 

claims and recruiting tactics regarding for-profit schools, illegal practices related to automobile 

purchases and credit products, and sham charities that exploit the public’s desire to help those 

who have served. 

While the FTC remains vigilant in combatting financial fraud and other unlawful 

business practices, we face difficult challenges. Returning money to defrauded consumers has 

been a cornerstone of the FTC’s enforcement work, including over $403 million in redress to 

harmed consumers during fiscal year 2021. However, the Supreme Court in AMG Capital 

Mgmt., LLC v. FTC7 held that the FTC does not have the ability to obtain monetary relief 

pursuant to Section 13(b) of the FTC Act. Federal legislation granting the FTC the ability to 

In 2021, Consumer Sentinel received nearly 2.8 million fraud complaints in total, with consumers reporting a total 

dollar loss of $5.9 billion. Id. at 5. 

6 These involve scams in which the perpetrators pose as a friend, family member, or romantic interest, or claim 

affiliation with a company or government agency, in order to induce people to send money or divulge personal 

information. 

7 141 S. Ct. 1341 (2021). 

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provide redress to wronged consumers, including servicemembers and veterans, is critical. In 

addition, a recent court ruling8 and ongoing lawsuits may affect the Commission’s ability to 

continue using its administrative process to obtain refunds for harmed consumers – underscoring 

the pressing need for a 13(b) fix. 

A. Deceptive earnings and investment claims. 

Some companies target military consumers with military-specific discounts or offers to 

lure servicemembers and veterans into fraudulent schemes. For instance, in February 2022, the 

FTC filed suit against fast-food chain BurgerIM, accusing the company of targeting veterans 

with false promises while withholding information required by the Franchise Rule.9 According 

to the complaint, the chain touted veteran-specific discount programs to lure people into paying 

tens of thousands of dollars in franchise fees. Although BurgerIM pocketed tens of millions of 

dollars in such fees, the complaint alleges that the majority of those who paid were never able to 

open restaurants. 

In addition, in April 2022, the FTC sent out $23 million in refunds arising out of its 

action against MOBE Ltd. The Commission alleged that MOBE falsely claimed that its business 

education program would enable people to start their own online business and earn substantial 

income quickly and easily using a “proven” 21-step system.10 Defendants eventually revealed 

that their “proven system” required selling the same memberships to others in the hopes of 

earning commissions, with many victims experiencing crippling losses or mounting debts. As 

8 Jarkesy v. SEC, 34 F.4th 446 (5th Cir. 2022). 

9 Complaint, United States v. BurgerIM, No. 2:22-cv-00825 (C.D. Cal. 2022), available at 

https://www ftc.gov/system/files/ftc gov/pdf/2022.02.07 complaint filed 002 0.pdf. 

10 Complaint, FTC v. MOBE Ltd., No. 6:180-cv-0862-ORL-37DCI (M.D. Fla. 2020), available at 

https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/mobe complaint.pdf. 

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part of the scheme, defendants allegedly created and promoted the “Patriot Funnel System,” 

targeting servicemembers and veterans with military-specific online ads and social media posts. 

Fortunately, this case was resolved prior to AMG. Achieving similar results in future actions 

could be hindered without congressional action to amend 13(b). 

B. Deceptive educational recruitment tactics. 

The FTC is also actively engaged in stopping deceptive recruitment practices in the forprofit educational space. Higher education programs have historically sought to enroll veterans 

because of GI Bill educational benefits, but some have done so through deceptive and predatory 

recruitment methods.11 Last year, following a $191 million judgment against the University of 

Phoenix (UOP) that resolved allegations that the school used deceptive recruitment pitches, the 

Commission sent payments totaling nearly $50 million to more than 147,000 students. In 

addition to the $50 million distributed as redress, the settlement with UOP required it to cancel 

$141 million in debts owed to the school by students harmed by its allegedly deceptive 

advertising. The FTC alleged that UOP used misleading advertisements, including ads that 

falsely claimed that UOP’s corporate partnerships with companies like AT&T and Allied Barton 

offered hiring programs for UOP students who were veterans.12 In another recent action, the 

11 Through the so-called 90/10 rule, Congress capped the percentage of revenue that for-profit schools can earn from 

U.S. Department of Education programs at 90 percent. Since GI Bill benefits originally were not included in that 

cap, schools had strong incentives to target veterans. Congress closed this loophole in 2021, but that change does not 

go into effect until 2023, so veteran’s educational benefits remain a likely target of deceptive practices. 

12 Complaint, FTC v. University of Phoenix, Inc., No. 2:19-cv-05772-ESW (D. Ariz. 2019), available at 

https://www ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/university of phoenix ftc v uop complaint signed.pdf. 

Similarly, in February of this year, the FTC worked with the U.S. Department of Education as they announced the 

cancellation of more than $70 million in debt for defrauded DeVry University students. FTC Press Release, FTC 

Enforcement Action Leads U.S. Dept. of Education to Forgive $71.7 Million in Loans for Students Deceived by 

DeVry University (Feb. 16, 2022), https://www ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2022/02/ftc-enforcementaction-leads-us-dept-education-forgive-717-million-loans-students-deceived-devry. This was on top of more than 

$100 million that the Commission has already returned to DeVry students. The Commission alleged that DeVry 

deceived students, including veterans, about their job prospects and earning potential. FTC Press Release, DeVry 

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Commission sued Saint James School of Medicine, a for-profit medical school in the Caribbean 

that allegedly used false guarantees of student success to lure consumers—including veterans— 

into enrolling in its program.

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For-profit schools have also used third party marketers in deceptive campaigns, going as 

far as to buy leads from marketers impersonating the military to lure consumers interested in 

serving our country to enroll in their schools. In Sunkey Publishing, the FTC’s complaint 

charged the defendants with running online ads—like “Army.com: Enlist, Reenlist, Benefits” 

and “Join the U.S. Air Force: Contact a U.S. Air Force Recruiter!”—and employing websites 

including army.com, armyenlist.com, and navyenlist.com, even though they had no affiliation 

with the military.

14 

Example of website used by Sunkey Publishing 

University Agrees to $100 Million Settlement with FTC (Dec. 15, 2016), https://www.ftc.gov/newsevents/news/press-releases/2016/12/devry-university-agrees-100-millionsettlement-ftc; Complaint, FTC v. DeVry 

Educ. Grp., Inc., No. 2:16-cv-00579-MWF-SS (C.D. Cal. 2016) available at 

https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/161215 devry stipulationrefinalorder.pdf. 

13 Complaint, FTC v. Human Resource Development Services, Inc., No. 1:22-cv-1919 (N.D. Ill. 2022), available at 

https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc gov/pdf/DE%201%20-%20Complaint%204142022.pdf. 

14 Complaint, United States v. Sunkey Publishers Inc., No. 3:18-cv-01444-HNJ (N.D. Ala. 2018), available at 

https://www ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/sunkey filed complaint.pdf. 

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Although the defendants promised to use consumers’ information only for military recruitment 

purposes, the FTC alleged that they sold this information to for-profit schools. According to the 

complaint, the defendants’ sales representatives also bombarded consumers with calls and texts 

in which the representatives identified themselves as being from “Military Verification” and 

solicited interest in “military friendly colleges.” And the defendants allegedly used the email 

addresses they collected under the guise of military recruitment to advertise other products as 

well, like online dating, mortgages, credit services, and scholarships.15 

The Commission followed up the Sunkey action by going after an operator of for-profit 

schools that bought leads from Sunkey, Career Education Corporation (currently operating as 

Perdoceo Education Corporation). In June 2021, the FTC sent nearly $30 million in consumer 

redress pursuant to a settlement with the defendants that also required the school to reform its 

lead generation practices to ensure compliance with the law.16 

Another example of deceptive recruitment tactics comes from the FTC’s administrative 

case against Victory Media. Victory Media published magazines like G.I. Jobs and the Guide to 

Military Friendly Schools, and ran websites including militaryfriendly.com and 

militaryspouse.com.17 According to the FTC’s complaint, the company claimed to help 

servicemembers find the right educational choice through an online Matchmaker tool that 

purported to search schools it deemed “military friendly,” but in reality only showed schools that 

15 The FTC has aggressively pursued the perpetrators of government impersonation scams, and this past December 

the FTC launched an advance notice of proposed rulemaking to combat government and business impersonation 

fraud. FTC Press Release, FTC Launches Rulemaking to Combat Sharp Spike in Impersonation Fraud (Dec. 16, 

2021), https://www ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2021/12/ftc-launches-rulemaking-combat-sharp-spikeimpersonation-fraud. 

16 FTC Press Release, FTC Sends Nearly $30 Million in Refunds to People Tricked into Enrolling by School 

Operator’s Lead Generators (June 9, 2021), https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2021/06/ftcsends-nearly-30-million-refunds-people-tricked-enrolling-school-operators-lead-generators. 

17 Complaint, In re Victory Media, Inc., Docket No. C-4640 (2018), available at 

https://www ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/162 3210 c4640 victory media complaint.pdf. 

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paid to be included, regardless of whether the school had any characteristics that would justify a 

“military friendly” designation. And the company also allegedly endorsed certain individual 

schools in articles, emails, and social media posts, without disclosing that the schools paid to be 

endorsed.18 

C. Illegal auto-related and financing practices. 

Unlawful sales and financing tactics can have an outsized impact on military personnel 

and their families, for example, with respect to motor vehicle sales and financing. Buying a car is 

one of the largest financial decisions a person will ever make. Young servicemembers are an 

attractive target for unscrupulous auto dealers: they have a steady paycheck, they often have no 

or minimal credit history, and a vehicle purchase may be their first big, complex financial 

transaction. 

In two 2017 FTC public events on military consumer protection, representatives from the 

Armed Forces repeatedly emphasized that unscrupulous auto sales practices are a major source 

of concern.19 Participants highlighted predatory practices included “payment packing” (slipping 

18 The FTC has been challenging deceptive endorsement practices for decades. In addition, in May 2022, the FTC 

proposed revisions to the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising, which 

reflect the new ways that advertisers reach consumers to promote products and services, including through social 

media. See FTC Press Release, FTC Proposes to Strengthen Advertising Guidelines Against Fake and Manipulated 

Reviews (May 19, 2022), available at https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2022/05/ftc-proposesstrengthen-advertising-guidelines-against-fake-manipulated-reviews. In addition, the FTC recently put hundreds of 

major companies on notice of a number of endorsement practices the agency determined to be unfair or deceptive in 

prior cases; these companies could incur significant civil penalties if they engage in these practices. See FTC Press 

Release, FTC Puts Hundreds of Businesses on Notice about Fake Reviews and Other Misleading Endorsements 

(Oct. 13, 2021), available at https://www ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2021/10/ftc-puts-hundredsbusinesses-notice-about-fake-reviews-other-misleading-endorsements. 

19 Military Consumer Financial Workshop, Panel 1: Military Consumers’ Experience in Auto Purchase, Financing, 

and Leasing (San Antonio, TX, July 19, 2017), https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/events/2017/07/military-consumerworkshop; Protecting Military Consumers: A Common Ground Conference (Los Angeles, CA, Sept. 7, 2017), 

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/events/2017/09/protecting-military-consumers-common-ground-conference; The 

Road Ahead: Selling, Financing & Leasing Motor Vehicles, Panel 1: Military Consumers and the Auto Sales and 

Financing Process (San Antonio, TX, Aug. 2, 2011), https://www ftc.gov/news-events/events/2011/08/road-aheadselling-financing-leasing-motor-vehicles/; see also FTC, Staff Perspective: A Closer Look at the Military Consumer 

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unwanted add-ons into a purchase agreement), bait-and-switch tactics, and extra junk fees. 

Stopping these illegal tactics is a top priority for the FTC, and the agency has brought 

dozens of enforcement actions against dealers allegedly engaged in these types of practices.20 

Last month, the Commission issued a notice of proposed rulemaking in the auto dealership 

space, drawing extensively on the FTC’s military consumer protection work.21 Among other 

things, the rule would prohibit a number of misrepresentations that are particular issues for 

servicemembers, such as whether vehicles can be moved across state lines or out of the country, 

whether and under what circumstances a vehicle may be repossessed, and whether the dealer or 

its products or services were endorsed by or associated with any government agency, including 

the Department of Defense or its military components. 

Home purchases represent another major purchase for military personnel and civilians 

alike, and we have taken action to protect the military community in this area. For example, the 

FTC brought an action against one of the nation’s largest refinancers of veterans’ home loans, 

alleging that it made misleading claims directed at current and former servicemembers, including 

falsely implying a government affiliation.22 According to the complaint, the defendants 

misrepresented the costs and potential savings of their refinancing services; implied that the 

loans they offered would come from Veterans Affairs or another government source; and falsely 

represented that low interest, fixed-rate mortgages were available at no cost. To resolve these 

Workshop at 2 (Feb. 2018) (relaying panelists’ descriptions of challenges faced by servicemembers in auto 

transactions and noting some cases FTC has brought to address alleged unlawfulness in these areas). 

20 FTC, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: Motor Vehicle Dealers Trade Regulation Rule (June 23, 2022), pp. 12-22 

(discussing auto industry issues and enforcement actions by FTC, CFPB, and states), available at 

https://www ftc.gov/system/files/ftc gov/pdf/P204800%20Auto%20Rule%20NPRM.pdf. 

21 FTC, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: Motor Vehicle Dealers Trade Regulation Rule (June 23, 2022). 

22 Complaint, FTC v. Mortgage Investors Corporation of Ohio, Inc., 8:13-cv-1647 (M.D. Fla. 2013), available at 

https://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cases/2013/06/130627mortgageinvestorscmpt.pdf. 

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allegations, the company agreed to pay a $7.5 million civil penalty. 

Fraudulent schemes also target the end of the credit lifecycle, and the FTC has a long 

history of going after extortionist debt collectors, including those that target the military. In our 

enforcement work, the Commission has brought actions that successfully shut down collectors 

that allegedly falsely threatened to take action under the Uniform Code of Justice against a 

servicemember who was the victim of identity theft, threatened to disclose a purported debt to 

the consumer’s commanding officer, and threatened to ruin a consumer’s military career.23 

D. Bogus military charities. 

Finally, some bad actors exploit the goodwill people have toward the Armed Forces in an 

effort to take advantage of the general public. For instance, in 2018 the Commission and partners 

in every state worked together on Operation Donate with Honor, an enforcement sweep 

involving more than 100 actions against bogus charities with names like “Help the Vets” and 

“Veterans of America.” The Commission has continued its vigorous enforcement in this area, 

obtaining orders in 2019 and 2020 in cases against sham charities using names like “American 

Veterans Foundation” and “Saving Our Soldiers.”24 

*** 

The Commission will continue to deploy every tool at our disposal to eradicate nefarious 

financial practices that harm servicemembers and their families. That includes seeking monetary 

23 Complaint, FTC v. Bam Financial, LLC, 15-cv-0672-JVS-DFM (C.D. Cal. 2015), available at 

https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/151104bamcmpt.pdf; Complaint, FTC v. Goldman Schwartz Inc., 

4:13-cv-00106 (S.D. Tex. 2013), available at 

https://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cases/2013/01/130131goldmanschwartzcmpt.pdf. 

24 Order, FTC v. Am. Veterans Foundation, Inc., No. 8:19-cv-00744-VMC-TGW (M.D. Fla. 2019), available at 

https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/172_3163_avf_order_3-28-19.pdf; Order, FTC v. Outreach 

Calling, Inc., No. 1:20-cv-07505-MKV, available at https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/de 42 -

redacted order as to gelvan and corporations entered.pdf. 

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relief, as returning money to defrauded consumers is a fundamental part of the FTC’s consumer 

protection mission. However, as previously noted, the FTC’s ability to return money to 

servicemembers and other consumers harmed by scam artists and other defendants will continue 

to be severely constrained absent Congressional action to provide the FTC with the authority to 

obtain monetary relief under Section 13(b) of the FTC Act. 

IV. EDUCATION AND OUTREACH 

In addition to the Commission’s law enforcement actions, education and outreach is a 

critical part of our consumer protection and fraud prevention work. The Commission’s education 

and outreach program reaches tens of millions of people a year, including through agency 

websites and social media presence. 

In 2013, the FTC created MilitaryConsumer.gov, a resource to inform servicemembers, 

veterans, their families, and the network of professionals that counsel them about fraud and other 

consumer issues affecting the Armed Forces. The same year, the FTC worked with the 

Department of Defense’s Office of Financial Readiness and the Consumer Financial Protection 

Bureau’s Office of Servicemember Affairs to launch the first Military Consumer Protection Day. 

The initiative features a network of partners sharing online content, giving presentations, and 

hosting conversations on social media. For the past nine years, the FTC has worked closely with 

its partners on Military Consumer Month through joint branding, coordinating messaging, and 

virtual presentations, webinars, and other events to reach the military community. In 2016, the 

initiative was expanded from one day to a full month every year (July), with dozens of federal, 

military, and state partners joining the agencies on social media and at virtual events. The 

Military Consumer network of partners includes federal and state agencies, military agencies, 

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state attorneys general offices, military relief and support organizations, consumer advocacy 

groups, and military trade associations. 

One area of particular educational and outreach focus is identity theft.25 An FTC analysis 

of five years of Consumer Sentinel data suggests that active duty servicemembers experience 

disproportionate instances of theft from their financial accounts compared to the general 

population.26 ID theft is often carried out by an individual whom the victim knows, and military 

consumers were twice as likely to report that the perpetrator was a family member or someone 

they knew.27 And ID theft feeds into many of the financial frauds discussed above: active duty 

servicemembers report problems with debt collectors and credit bureaus at more than twice the 

rate of other adults, with many of these complaints arising from underlying instances of identity 

theft.28 

The FTC also coordinates closely with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to 

develop and disseminate information about avoiding scams and recovering from ID theft. The 

FTC has given scores of webinars and presentations to veterans, many hosted by the VA’s 

identity protection program and its economic development initiatives. For instance, in January 

2022, FTC staff spoke at the VA’s virtual program, Evolving Identity Theft Tactics & 

Protections. In September 2021, FTC staff spoke on a virtual presentation about avoiding scams 

25 Addressing data breaches that expose sensitive information, a major source of ID theft, is an area of robust FTC 

enforcement and outreach. FTC, Data Security, https://www.ftc.gov/datasecurity. 

26 FTC Press Release, Active Duty Servicemember are More likely to Report Identity Theft than Other Adults, New 

FTC Data Shows (May 21, 2020), https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2020/05/active-dutyservicemembers-are-more-likely-report-identity-theft-other-adults-new-ftc-data-shows. 

27 Nearly 14% of the reports indicate that a family member or someone they knew stole their identity, compared to 

just 7% of other adults. Reports indicate that this often happens when people have access to important documents or 

financial records left behind during military reassignment. 

28 In 2021, military consumers filed 12,315 complaints about credit bureaus, information furnishers, and credit 

report users (out of a total of 592,928) and 5,897 complaints about debt collectors (out of a total of 151,335). 

Consumer Sentinel Data Book 2021, supra n.5. 

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and identity theft as part of a VA program for new veterans and servicemembers transitioning 

into civilian life in the Baltimore area.29 And in two days, as part of this year’s Military 

Consumer Month, FTC staff will be speaking at a two-day virtual event hosted by Veterans’ 

Affairs on identity theft and other consumer protection issues. 

V. CONCLUSION 

The Commission will continue to take action to protect servicemembers and the broader 

military community from fraud and related threats. Combatting these practices is an important 

part of the FTC’s consumer protection mission, and we will use every tool at our disposal to do 

so. We look forward to continuing to work the Subcommittee and Congress on this important 

issue. 

29 One resource that the FTC regularly highlights is free electronic credit monitoring services for active duty 

members, which the nationwide consumer reporting agencies are required to offer under the FTC’s military credit 

monitoring rule. 16 C.F.R. pt. 609. 

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