New national blueprint aims to dismantle the scam economy
Scams are exploding at a rate that threatens national security, the economy and consumer trust
A sweeping new report from a coalition of consumer advocates, major corporations, and policymakers argues that the United States can dramatically reduce scams — but only if it treats fraud as a national security threat and launches a coordinated, cross-sector response.
The report was produced by the Aspen Institute’s National Task Force on Fraud and Scam Prevention, which brought together more than 300 experts from over 80 organizations across financial services, tech, telecommunications, government, and consumer advocacy groups.
Its central message: the U.S. currently lacks a unified strategy against scams even as the problem explodes in scale, costing Americans more than $150 billion annually and affecting tens of millions of households.
Rather than focusing on individual fraud tactics, the report proposes something broader — a systemic overhaul aimed at breaking what authors describe as the “business model” of modern scams.
A growing national security threat
The report frames scams not just as consumer harms but as a geopolitical issue. Criminal networks often operate overseas, using stolen money to fund organized crime and hostile foreign actors.
Roughly one in five Americans has lost money to a scam, according to estimates cited in the report, and the emotional and financial toll goes far beyond the direct losses.
Despite the scale, the task force argues the U.S. response remains fragmented, with responsibility spread across industries and agencies that rarely coordinate effectively.
“No single sector can stop scams alone,” the report concludes, calling for a “whole-of-ecosystem” strategy involving both government leadership and private-sector accountability.
Breaking the scam lifecycle
A core concept in the report is treating scams as an interconnected lifecycle — from the initial contact to the financial transaction and aftermath. By targeting every stage, the strategy aims to make scams harder and less profitable.
The blueprint lays out actions to suppress scam activity, disrupt fraud in real time, improve reporting and recovery for victims, and measure the scale of the problem more accurately.
One key theme: reduce the rewards and increase the risks for scammers, particularly transnational groups operating from jurisdictions with limited enforcement cooperation.
Government leadership at the center
Among the report’s most prominent recommendations is elevating scam prevention to a national priority — including potential White House and congressional action to coordinate agencies and funding.
The task force calls for stronger law enforcement tools, better intelligence sharing across borders, and improved government data capabilities to track fraud patterns.
It also proposes exploring the creation of a national anti-scam center that could serve as a hub for reporting, education, and victim support.
Such a move could mirror centralized approaches used in cybersecurity or counterterrorism, where coordination across agencies has historically improved outcomes.
A bigger role for corporations
The report places significant responsibility on private companies, arguing that scams exploit the infrastructure of banks, telecom providers, social media platforms, and online marketplaces.
It urges firms to adopt stronger anti-scam governance, invest in detection tools such as artificial intelligence, and share threat intelligence across sectors more aggressively.
Companies are also encouraged to treat scam prevention as a core risk-management function, rather than a customer-service issue, and to collaborate with competitors where necessary to disrupt criminal networks.
That may be controversial, especially if it raises liability questions, but the report suggests the scale of the problem requires unprecedented cooperation.
Modernizing incentives and laws
Another focus is updating legal frameworks that may unintentionally slow anti-scam efforts.
Current privacy rules, liability structures, and data-sharing limits can make it difficult for institutions to share actionable intelligence quickly — a problem the report says allows fraud rings to move faster than defenders.
The task force calls for modernized legal incentives that encourage prevention and information sharing while protecting civil liberties.
This could include clearer standards for reporting scams, improved consumer recovery mechanisms, and stronger enforcement tools targeting cross-border fraud.
Public awareness as a frontline defense
The report also emphasizes consumer education, arguing that awareness campaigns remain underfunded and fragmented.
It recommends coordinated national messaging to help consumers recognize scams, reduce stigma around victimization, and increase reporting rates — all of which could generate better data and improve prevention efforts.
Victim support services are another priority, with the report calling for expanded funding and peer-support models to help survivors recover financially and emotionally.
Measuring the true scale
One of the more striking observations is how little policymakers know about the real size of the scam economy.
Underreporting remains widespread, driven by embarrassment, confusion about reporting channels, and low expectations of recovery.
The report recommends creating a unified national estimate of scam losses and victimization, along with better metrics to evaluate prevention programs.
Better data, authors argue, would allow governments and companies to allocate resources more effectively and measure whether interventions are actually working.
A roadmap, not a solution
The task force acknowledges that the report is a starting point rather than a final answer.
Scam tactics evolve quickly, and the document stresses the need for flexible, adaptive strategies that can keep pace with technological change — including the growing use of artificial intelligence by criminals.
Still, authors say the biggest risk is inaction.
Without coordinated action, scams could continue to scale globally, eroding trust in financial and communications systems while draining billions from households each year.
What comes next
The report’s release sets the stage for a new phase of policy and industry debate, particularly around questions of liability, regulation, and corporate responsibility.
Future installments of this series will dig deeper into specific recommendations — including data sharing, industry accountability, victim recovery, and what stronger federal leadership might look like in practice.
For consumers, the report’s message is blunt: scams are no longer isolated crimes but part of a sprawling global industry. And dismantling it will require something rarely seen in consumer protection — a coordinated, nationwide response.