Nevada lawmakers are releasing some money the state got in a national mortgage settlement to ramp up a financial fraud investigation unit in the attorney general's office.
The Legislature's Interim Finance Committee approved spending nearly $1.3 million in the upcoming fiscal year. That will fund 10 positions, including criminal investigators, prosecutors and support staff.
They plan to seek similar allowances to maintain the positions for four more years.
The attorney general's office says fraud complaints are on the rise. It received 952 last year and 870 in the first three quarters of this fiscal year.
The office says it opened about 90 prosecutions in 2015.
Officials say they plan to use the money to investigate scams, guardians who exploit their elderly and vulnerable charges and financial activities linked to terrorism.