Secret Service (2024)

Ironically, the agency now synonymous with presidential protection was not created for that purpose. Founded in , the Secret Service was established as a division of the Department of the Treasury. Its primary mandate was to suppress the rampant counterfeiting that emerged during the Civil War, when nearly one-third of all U.S. currency in circulation was estimated to be fraudulent. For decades, the agency focused almost exclusively on financial crimes, investigating credit card fraud and electronic funds transfer fraud as technology advanced. 2. The Shift to Protection: A Reaction to Tragedy

Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Secret Service was moved from the Treasury Department to the newly formed in 2003. This move underscored the agency's role in national security. Today, the USSS operates with a "dual mission": Secret Service

The agency’s role shifted dramatically following the 1901 assassination of President William McKinley, the third sitting president to be killed in office. In response, Congress requested that the Secret Service assume of the President beginning in 1902. Over the years, this protective umbrella expanded to include: The Vice President and their immediate families. currency in circulation was estimated to be fraudulent