“The AI Fraud Accountability Act Makes Clear That If You Use AI To Defraud Americans, You Will Be Prosecuted.”
Legislation Modernizes Federal Law to Protect Americans from Digital Fraud
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Vern Buchanan, Vice Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and Congressman Darren Soto (D-Fla.) announced the introduction of the AI Fraud Accountability Act. Senators Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) introduced companion legislation in the Senate. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation would crack down on highly realistic AI-generated impersonation scams designed to defraud Americans.
“As artificial intelligence becomes more advanced, criminals are exploiting it to scam hardworking Americans,” said Buchanan. “We are seeing a disturbing rise in AI-generated voice clones and deepfake videos that convincingly impersonate loved ones, business executives, government officials and trusted institutions to steal money. Congress must act to stay ahead of these threats by modernizing federal law to keep up with emerging technology. The AI Fraud Accountability Act makes clear that if you use AI to defraud Americans, you will be prosecuted.”
“As AI rapidly evolves, it is critical for us to ensure that the technology isn’t being misused to cause harm,” said Soto. “We’ve unfortunately seen cases where it is used to create realistic impersonations of real people. I’m proud to join this bipartisan legislation to set guardrails and prevent these deceptive practices from taking place.”
“Artificial intelligence will help unleash innovation, opportunity, and prosperity in the 21st century economy, but we must ensure it is not a tool for fraud,” said Sheehy. “The AI Fraud Accountability Act modernizes federal law to crack down on AI fraudsters targeting American families, seniors, and businesses while safeguarding technological innovation and First Amendment rights.”
“With more Americans using AI every day, we need to do all we can to cut down on AI-related fraud.” said Rochester. “Our AI Fraud Accountability Act would ensure our statutes are updated to meet this current moment. Thank you to Senator Sheehy for his partnership, and I look forward to working together on this urgent issue.”
The AI Fraud Accountability Act was first reported by POLITICO Pro. Read the exclusive here.
Artificial intelligence tools have made it easier than ever to create highly realistic audio and visual impersonations of individuals. While these technologies have many legitimate uses, they have also created new opportunities for bad actors to commit fraud and identity-based scams.
The AI Fraud Accountability Act closes this gap by creating a new offense under the Communications Act[SP1] prohibiting individuals from falsely posing as a real or imaginary person through a highly realistic digital impersonation with the intent to defraud someone of money or other things of value. The prohibition would apply to AI-generated or technologically manipulated audio or visual depictions that are indistinguishable from an authentic depiction to a reasonable person. Violators would face criminal penalties, including imprisonment, fines and forfeiture of proceeds, as well as civil enforcement under the Federal Trade Commission Act for unfair or deceptive acts or practices enforced by the Federal Trade Commission.
The legislation is supported by Microsoft, National Consumers League, AARP, American Association of Senior Citizens, Center for AI Safety Action Fund, Bank Policy Institute, Business Software Alliance, Global Anti-Scam Alliance, North America Chapter and the National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship.
“The threat of AI generated scams and deepfake fraud call for urgent, bipartisan action. The AI Fraud Accountability Act provides legal tools to protect consumers and hold bad actors accountable. Thank you, Senators Sheehy and Blunt Rochester and Representatives Buchanan and Soto for leading this effort to combat fraud. We strongly support this legislation and look forward to continuing to work across Congress to help build a safer digital ecosystem for everyone,” said Brad Smith, Microsoft President.
“The AI Fraud Accountability Act sends a clear message: criminals using deepfakes and sophisticated AI to commit fraud will face serious consequences. It also reinforces that innovation should not come at the expense of consumer safety. AARP appreciates efforts to advance this legislation for the protection and dignity of older Americans,” said Bill Sweeny, AARP Senior Vice President of Government Affairs.
“As artificial intelligence continues to advance in capability, so do the scams used by bad actors to steal from vulnerable Americans. The American Association of Senior Citizens is proud to support the AI Fraud Accountability Act, which seeks to modernize federal efforts to address AI-driven scams that use fake voices and videos to steal from senior citizens. We applaud Representatives Vern Buchanan and Darren Soto, along with Senators Sheehy and Rochester, for leading this bipartisan effort to protect seniors, strengthen law enforcement tools, and hold fraudsters accountable,” said Saulius "Saul" Anuzis, American Association of Senior Citizens President.
“The Center for AI Safety Action Fund (CAIS AF) is proud to endorse the AI Fraud Accountability Act. This bill addresses the rising issue of AI-enabled impersonation, which already costs Americans billions. Existing fraud laws were not designed for a world where anyone with a laptop can clone voices or faces within minutes. The AI Fraud Accountability Act aims to close that gap by criminalizing the use of realistic digital impersonations for fraud, empowering the FTC with clear enforcement authority, and promoting international cooperation to target foreign perpetrators. This is exactly the kind of practical, narrowly tailored legislation we need to keep pace with advancing AI capabilities,” said the Center for AI Safety Action Fund.
“AI-powered deepfakes are accelerating at a pace that outstrips our current defenses against fraud and scams. The bipartisan AI Fraud Accountability Act is a critical step in building those defenses, sending an unambiguous signal that this is a national priority and giving law enforcement the cross-border tools to pursue scam criminals who operate far beyond U.S. borders,” said Nils Mueller, Global Anti-Scam Alliance North America Chapter Director.
Buchanan has long been a leader in advancing legislation to combat fraud, protect consumers and ensure emerging technologies are used responsibly. As Vice Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, he continues working to safeguard hardworking Americans from financial exploitation and evolving digital threats.
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