HB1034: HB1034 Georgia Tech Support Impersonation and Remote Access Protection Act; enact

Georgia currently has limited specific tools for stopping fraud in progress or helping victims of tech support and impersonation scams recover money. This bill, called the Georgia Tech Support Impersonation and Remote Access Protection Act, changes that in several ways. It requires financial institutions to give customers a free account safety lock, to pause suspicious transfers for up to 72 hours (extendable once) when fraud is reported, and to flag transactions happening during active remote access sessions. The bill also updates Georgia's existing internet and email fraud crime (O.C.G.A. 16-9-109.1) to cover voice calls, AI generated voices, and attempts to gain remote access to a person's device, treating violations as felonies punishable by 1 to 20 years in prison and fines up to $500,000. It adds those violations to Georgia's consumer protection law, creates a new Georgia Financial Fraud Victims Relief Fund administered by the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council to reimburse victims up to $10,000 per incident, and directs the Attorney General to run a fraud hotline, web portal, and public training campaigns.

• Requires financial institutions to offer free account safety locks and to freeze new payees, zero out transfer limits, and end active sessions until a customer reauthenticates.
• Requires banks to place a temporary hold, up to 72 hours plus one possible 72 hour extension, on a transfer when a customer reports suspected fraud.
• Expands the crime of internet or email fraud (O.C.G.A. 16-9-109.1) to also cover voice calls, AI generated voices, and scams seeking remote access to a device or account, punishable by 1 to 20 years in prison and fines up to $500,000.
• Adds violations of that fraud law to Georgia's list of unfair or deceptive consumer practices, letting the Attorney General sue for civil penalties and restitution.
• Creates the Georgia Financial Fraud Victims Relief Fund to reimburse eligible victims up to $10,000 per incident and $20,000 per year, funded by state appropriations, penalties, and donations.
• Directs the Attorney General to run a fraud hotline, public awareness campaigns, and law enforcement training on tech enabled and AI voice fraud.

Banks, credit unions, trust companies, and money transmitters operating in Georgia; their customers who may be targeted by scams; people accused of internet, email, or voice fraud who would face expanded felony charges; crime victims applying for relief fund payouts; and the Attorney General's office, Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, and law enforcement agencies handling these cases.

Georgians who fall for tech support or impersonation scams could get transfers paused before money disappears, and some could recover up to $10,000 through a new state fund. Banks would face new operational duties, and people who impersonate businesses or use AI generated voices to trick victims would face broader felony liability.

• Section 2 adds O.C.G.A. 7-1-847, requiring free account safety locks, mandatory holds on suspected fraudulent transfers of up to 72 hours (plus a possible 72 hour extension), and annual fraud reporting by financial institutions to the state.
• Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. 10-1-393 to make violations of the fraud statute an unfair or deceptive trade practice, allowing Attorney General civil suits for penalties and restitution.
• Section 4 revises O.C.G.A. 16-9-109.1 to cover voice and electronic communications, including AI generated speech, used to solicit identifying information or remote device access, with felony penalties of 1 to 20 years and fines of $1,000 to $500,000.
• Section 4 keeps existing exemptions from criminal liability for employers whose equipment is misused without their knowledge and for internet service providers acting in good faith.
• Section 5 creates O.C.G.A. 17-15-18, the Georgia Financial Fraud Victims Relief Fund, administered by the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, capping awards at $10,000 per incident and $20,000 per claimant per year.
• Section 5 requires victims to apply within one year of discovering the fraud and requires the council to decide eligibility within 90 days.
• Section 6 adds O.C.G.A. 45-15-21, requiring the Attorney General to run a fraud hotline and web portal, coordinate with the GBI and Department of Banking and Finance, and conduct annual public awareness and law enforcement training on tech enabled fraud.

1. 2026-01-29House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-01-28House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-01-27House Hopper (House)

• Sandra Scott (D, HD-076)Primary sponsor
• Kim Schofield (D, HD-063)
• Viola Davis (D, HD-087)

• financial fraud
• consumer protection
• banking regulation
• identity theft
• AI voice scams