Bill · S. 5229· Senate(119-S-5229)
SWIPES Act
- Introduced
- 8/4/2026
- Last activity
- 8/4/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Ashley Moody
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The SWIPES Act, also known as the Saving Wallets and Increasing Penalties for Elder Scams Act, aims to amend title 18 of the United States Code to increase penalties for gift card fraud. It expands the definition of access devices to include obtaining information through websites and updates various definitions to include gift cards, digital assets, and other credentials. The bill also establishes specific heightened penalties for crimes involving large quantities of counterfeit or unauthorized access devices. Furthermore, it introduces new criminal penalties specifically targeting felony fraud committed against individuals over the age of 60. These new penalties for elder fraud are intended to be served consecutively to other prison terms.
Yes· 3 of 7
Would people over 65 be better off under this?+8
The bill provides specific, heightened criminal penalties for fraud targeting individuals over the age of 60.
Would retired people be better off under this?+8
The bill targets and penalizes crimes specifically committed against those over 60, a demographic that includes many retirees.
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?+7
The bill enhances protections against gift card fraud by increasing penalties for unauthorized access to digital and physical assets.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Penalties for Large-Scale Fraud: The bill increases prison terms and fines for offenses involving large amounts of counterfeit or unauthorized access devices, such as those exceeding 500 or 1,000 devices (Section 2(a)(1)).
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Protection for Seniors: The bill introduces a new section, 1029A, which mandates an additional 2-year prison sentence for individuals who knowingly commit felony fraud against persons over the age of 60 (Section 2(b)(1)).
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Strict Sentencing for Elder Fraud: To ensure accountability, the law states that those sentenced for fraud against seniors shall not be placed on probation and their sentence must run consecutively to other prison terms (Section 2(b)(3)).
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Expanded Definitions of Assets: By updating definitions to include gift cards, digital assets, and various digital credentials, the bill covers a wider range of methods used in modern fraud (Section 2(a)(3)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Increased Prison Terms for Access Device Crimes: The bill increases the maximum years of imprisonment for certain offenses under section 1029, such as increasing terms from 10 to 20 years and 15 to 25 years (Section 2(a)(1)).
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Stricter Sentencing Standards: The new standards for fraud against those over 60 define "knowingly" to include actual knowledge, deliberate ignorance, or even reckless disregard for the victim's age, which expands the scope of criminal liability (Section 2(b)(1)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Retirees+8Good For Seniors+8Good For Low Income Households+3
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+7
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Criminal Sentencing Reform+6
- Education And Technology
- Improves Data Privacy+5
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Due Process+2
- 8/4/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Introduced in Senate