In 2024, scammers and cybercriminals inflicted devastating losses on American consumers, stealing an unprecedented $16.6 billion, a 33% increase from the previous year. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), nearly 860,000 complaints were filed concerning scams, fraud, and other internet crimes. Especially alarming was the impact on elderly Americans, who submitted 147,127 complaints resulting in $4.8 billion in losses. Many experts believe these figures are significantly underreported, as victims often experience embarrassment or fear when considering whether to come forward.
Alongside this, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported over 2.6 million consumer complaints in 2024 through its Consumer Sentinel Network, reinforcing that scams now permeate nearly every aspect of American life. Together, these reports paint a troubling picture: scams are not just growing in volume, but also in sophistication and severity.
Calls for a stronger national response
Recognizing the urgent need for a stronger national response, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report in April 2025 calling for major reforms. The GAO emphasized that while multiple federal agencies are active in combating scams, efforts remain fragmented and lack an overarching, government-wide strategy. Without common definitions, standardized data collection, or a single point of leadership, the ability to fully understand and address the scam epidemic is severely limited. Furthermore, the GAO highlighted that consumer education campaigns often go unevaluated, leaving questions about their real-world effectiveness unanswered. The absence of a coordinated approach not only hampers enforcement but also leaves millions of Americans exposed to increasingly clever criminal tactics. A stronger, unified national strategy is essential.
The GAO report recommended the FBI should take the lead on scam prevention and enforcement, but a closer examination of the FBI’s priorities reveals otherwise. According to the FBI’s own website, its top mission areas include counterterrorism, counterintelligence, cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, and major public corruption, with consumer scams falling much lower in their operational focus. Although scams and fraud certainly fall under the FBI’s broad mandate, they are not prioritized in the same way as threats to national security or large-scale financial crimes involving institutions. In contrast, scams primarily victimize individual consumers, often through decentralized digital schemes. The FBI's enormous range of responsibilities makes it unlikely that scam-related crimes will receive the sustained, specialized attention they urgently require. As such, it becomes clear that an alternative lead agency is necessary.
The U.S. Secret Service (USSS) is far better suited to lead the fight against scams. The USSS has a rich historical foundation combating financial fraud, originating with its creation in 1865 to suppress counterfeit currency. Today, the agency specializes in complex financial crimes and cyber-enabled fraud schemes, making it uniquely positioned to understand and dismantle scam operations. Unlike the FBI, whose priorities span a broad array of national threats, the USSS has maintained a focused and adaptive approach to protecting the nation’s financial systems. Its network of Cyber Fraud Task Forces (CFTFs) already operates at the intersection of cybersecurity, fraud, and financial crime, providing an established infrastructure that could be expanded to meet the scam crisis. Handing leadership to the USSS would ensure that scams receive dedicated, expert-driven attention at a time when consumers need it most.
A critical asset the USSS brings to this mission is the National Computer Forensics Institute (NCFI), located in Hoover, Alabama. NCFI provides state and local law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges with the training and tools needed to investigate and prosecute cyber and electronic crimes, including scams. Each year, NCFI trains more than 5,000 students from across the United States, equipping them with cutting-edge digital forensic skills and providing them with forensic equipment for use back in their home jurisdictions. This creates a multiplier effect, extending the USSS’s anti-fraud capabilities into communities nationwide. The NCFI ensures that frontline officers are not only well-versed in the latest cyber threats but are actively engaged partners in scam prevention and prosecution. No other federal agency has invested so systematically in building national, state, and local capabilities to fight scams and cyber fraud at scale.
Centralized response works, and other countries are already doing it
Internationally, other countries have recognized the need for centralized, specialized responses to scams—and the U.S. can learn from their successes. In Australia, the National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC) was launched in 2023 to unify government, law enforcement, and private sector efforts to detect and disrupt scams early. Singapore’s Anti-Scam Centre, run by the Singapore Police Force, acts as a rapid-response and coordination hub for scam-related crimes. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom’s National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) coordinates the gathering and analysis of scam and fraud data, supporting better enforcement and prevention efforts. These models illustrate that a dedicated anti-scam center can significantly enhance responsiveness, consumer protection, and the ability to intercept scams before they cause widespread harm. Rather than leaving scam prevention fragmented across agencies, a single center consolidates expertise and accelerates action.
The U.S. has already seen success with similar centralized models, such as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which revolutionized the national response to child exploitation crimes. NCMEC demonstrates how public-private partnerships, real-time reporting tools, and centralized leadership can massively improve outcomes in targeted crime categories. A National Anti-Scam Center in the U.S., modeled after NCMEC and international anti-scam centers, could provide a one-stop hub for reporting, analysis, public education, and law enforcement coordination. Such a center would also empower banks, tech companies, and other stakeholders to better share real-time scam information and block suspicious activities. By focusing on early detection, education, victim support, and enforcement, a dedicated center could dramatically lower scam success rates. It would also help restore consumer confidence in digital commerce and communications, which scams increasingly threaten.
Final Thoughts
The current fragmented approach to fighting scams in the United States is no longer sufficient given the scale and complexity of the threat. The FBI, while a critical agency for many national security missions, does not prioritize consumer scams highly enough to lead this charge effectively. The U.S. Secret Service, with its expertise in financial crimes, cyber-enabled fraud, and nationwide partnerships through NCFI and its Cyber Fraud Task Forces, is the logical law enforcement leader for a new national anti-scam strategy. However, true success will require more than leadership alone; it will require structural change. The United States should follow the examples of Australia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom by establishing a dedicated National Anti-Scam Center. By doing so, the country can finally mount a full-spectrum defense against scammers and offer meaningful protection to American consumers now and into the future.
