Staff Reports
Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday announced a new consumer protection program “that will serve the unique needs of our military and veteran communities and directly assist with consumer protection-related issues.”
The Military and Veterans Assistance Program (MVAP) is Bondi’s “most recent effort to spread awareness of and stop deceptive business practices affecting military service members, veterans and their families,” according to a press release.
“Florida has more than 90,000 active duty and reserve military members and more than 1.5 million veterans,” she said in a statement. “To the men and women who have put on a uniform to protect our country, we will continue to do everything we can to protect you from these scammers. As Memorial Day approaches at the end of this month, I am honored to have the opportunity to assist the heroes who lay their lives on the line to keep us safe.”
Here’s more from the release:
Members of Attorney General Bondi’s MVAP team will provide resources and information to base JAG officers, county veteran service officers and other organizations across the state to help service members and veterans learn how to protect themselves from scams and file complaints.
As part of Attorney General Bondi’s efforts to protect military consumers, the MVAP team will also:
— Partner with military and veteran leadership statewide to provide education regarding emerging scams targeting active military and veterans and how to report them;
— Provide both internal and external assistance on consumer protection-related issues;
— Connect service members and veterans with legal aid offices or other agencies if needed; and
— Foster open communication between local, state and federal partners to help ensure complaints are being handled by the correct organization and new information is shared.
The Attorney General’s Office works tirelessly to ensure that all military members, whether active duty, returning from deployment, guard and reserve members or veterans of the Armed Forces, are protected from unscrupulous businesses and individuals.
