Mike Crapo (R-ID)
Taskforce for Recognizing and Averting Payment Scams Act
A bill to establish a Task Force for Recognizing and Averting Payment Scams, and for other purposes.
A Republican bill with 8 Democratic cosponsors · See all 12 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "Taskforce for Recognizing and Averting Payment Scams Act" or the "TRAPS Act," aims to create a Task Force to combat payment scams. The Secretary of the Treasury is required to establish this Task Force within 90 days of the Act's enactment. The Task Force will consist of various government agencies and representatives from financial institutions, consumer groups, and victims. Its primary goals include examining scam trends, identifying prevention methods, and creating consumer education strategies. The group is also tasked with evaluating methods used in scams like spoofed calls and business email compromise. Finally, the Task Force must submit annual reports to specific Congressional committees.
Yes· 3 of 8
- Scored +5
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?
The bill enhances consumer protection by establishing a task force to prevent and identify payment scams.
- Scored +4
Does this better protect the country from computer attacks?
The bill addresses digital payment security, which contributes to broader cybersecurity efforts.
- Scored +3
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill requires public online reporting of the task force's findings and updates.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Enhanced Scam Prevention: The Task Force is tasked with identifying effective methods for preventing scams and evaluating best practices regarding spoofed calls, text messages, and malicious websites (Section 3(c)(1) and Section 3(e)(1)).
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Consumer Education: The group will work on a strategy for education programs designed to help consumers identify, avoid, and report payment scam attempts (Section 3(e)(4)).
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Victim Representation: The Task Force includes up to five representatives specifically appointed to represent victims and scam support networks to better assist consumers (Section 3(b)(1)(P)).
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Improved Law Enforcement Coordination: The duties include coordinating efforts to ensure scammers can be identified and pursued by law enforcement (Section 3(e)(5)).
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Increased Transparency: The Task Force is required to make its reports available online, providing public access to their results, strategies, and recommendations (Section 3(g)(1)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — The bill addresses business email compromise, which is a significant threat to business owners. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill may help low-income households by providing better protection against financial scams. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — The bill may help middle-class households by providing better protection against financial scams.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill enhances consumer protection by establishing a task force to prevent and identify payment scams.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires public online reporting of the task force's findings and updates. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill expands federal authority through a new inter-agency task force led by the Secretary of the Treasury.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this better protect the country from computer attacks? — The bill addresses digital payment security, which contributes to broader cybersecurity efforts.
- Education And Technology
- Does this give people more control over their personal data? — By targeting scams via digital platforms, the bill indirectly supports consumer data and privacy security.
- 9/17/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/22/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/10/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 2/26/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 1/6/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 12/17/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 11/18/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 9/16/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/8/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/10/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
- 3 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
John BoozmanRepublican · Arkansas
Lisa Blunt RochesterDemocrat · Delaware
Bill CassidyRepublican · Louisiana
Deb FischerRepublican · Nebraska
Maggie HassanDemocrat · New Hampshire
Amy KlobucharDemocrat · Minnesota
Jerry MoranRepublican · Kansas
Jeff MerkleyDemocrat · Oregon
Jon OssoffDemocrat · Georgia
Raphael WarnockDemocrat · Georgia
Peter WelchDemocrat · Vermont
Mark WarnerDemocrat · Virginia