Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Issues Statement in Honor of Veterans Day

Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today issued the following statement:

“This Veterans Day, the California Department of Justice honors the servicemembers, veterans, and families who have made tremendous sacrifices on behalf of our country and our state. Their courageous service will always be remembered by a grateful California and her people.”

California is home to more than 2 million veterans. The California Department of Justice is committed to providing these heroes and their families with the strongest possible consumer protections. These efforts include:

• Securing $20 billion in relief for California homeowners and foreclosure victims, including military families, which are especially vulnerable to mortgage fraud and abuse.

• Sponsoring the California Homeowner Bill of Rights, which required banks to notify servicemembers of their rights under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act before initiating a foreclosure. Under the Act, active-duty homeowners are eligible for various mortgage-related protections, including a capped interest rate and possible deferment of payments.

• Establishing a working group to fight scams and other predatory conduct that uniquely targets servicemembers.

• Providing training on consumer protection law to Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and California National Guard JAG legal assistance attorneys and financial counselors at installations throughout California. 

• Prosecuting a for-profit college for allegedly targeting servicemembers through the unlawful use of official Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard seals in mailings and on websites.

• Prosecuting corrupt veterans’ charities for fiscal abuse, recovering millions of dollars in settlement fees.

Additional information on consumer protections for servicemembers and veterans is available at: http://oag.ca.gov/consumers/general/military.