What is the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force?

President Obama established the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force in November 2009 to hold accountable those who helped bring about the last financial crisis as well as those who would attempt to take advantage of the efforts at economic recovery.

The task force is improving efforts across the government and with state and local partners to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, recover proceeds for victims and address financial discrimination in the lending and financial markets.

With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 US Attorneys Offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. The Task Force has established Financial Fraud Coordinators in every US Attorney’s Office around the country to help make these broad mandates a reality on the ground.

What is Financial Fraud?

Financial fraud takes many different shapes, and fraudsters wear many different masks. From mortgage scams that target the elderly, Ponzi schemes that shock the world, procurement fraud that steals money from our nation’s coffers, predatory lending that discriminates against vulnerable communities, securities fraud that undermines the trust and transparency of our markets, and the list goes on.

But the American people have something on their side the fraudsters don’t: the force of the largest coalition of federal, state and local partners ever assembled to combat fraud.

The Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force’s mission is broad, because the problem is broad, and the task force is working tirelessly to combat these and future scams to protect the American people.