The GUARD Act gives state, local, and tribal police departments permission to use certain federal grant money to fight financial crimes targeting seniors and other victims. Specifically, law enforcement can now use these grants to hire investigators and analysts, buy specialized software for tracking cryptocurrency and other digital assets, and train officers on how to handle complex fraud cases. The bill focuses on three main types of fraud: elder financial fraud (stealing money from seniors or people with disabilities), "pig butchering" scams (where con artists slowly convince victims to invest in fake cryptocurrency schemes), and general financial fraud (credit card theft, identity theft, and other deceptive schemes).

The law also allows federal law enforcement agencies to help local police use blockchain tracking tools to follow digital money trails. To make sure the money is being used effectively, police departments that receive these grants must report back within a year explaining how much they spent, what results they achieved, and whether fraud in their area decreased. Additionally, the Treasury Department and other federal agencies must study the overall fraud problem in America and report to Congress about how many scams happen each year, how much money Americans lose, and what enforcement actions are being taken against scammers. This bill essentially gives law enforcement better tools and funding to catch financial criminals who prey on vulnerable people.