TOPEKA – (June 2017) – A new Kansas law will stiffen penalties for scammers who prey on members of the military, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.

Effective July 1, members of the military have been added to the definition of “protected consumer” in the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. This definition has previously included veterans and immediate family members of members of the military, along with elder and disabled persons, but not service personnel themselves.

If a violation of the Kansas Consumer Protection Act is found to have occurred against a consumer fitting one of these descriptions, the court may impose a penalty of up to $20,000 for each violation, double the usual $10,000 maximum penalty.

“With three major military bases in our state and thousands of Kansans serving in the National Guard and Reserves, this is a positive change to help protect those who are protecting us,” Schmidt said. “Scammers who want to take advantage of members of the military should be warned that we are watching for them, and this new law will help strengthen our ability to punish those who try to prey on service personnel.”

The new law, which Schmidt supported, was unanimously adopted by the Kansas Legislature earlier this year as Senate Bill 201.