‘People are losing tens of thousands of dollars’: Bipartisan push underway to prevent and report scams

Senior Producer

WASHINGTON —

Americans across the country are falling for scams, sometimes costing them hundreds of thousands of dollars in a matter of seconds. Now, there’s a bipartisan push to create a national system to help victims report fraud and hold criminals accountable.

“They knew the name of my boss, they knew where I worked.”

According to a survey conducted by Bankrate, 73 percent of Americans have experienced a financial scam or fraud at some point in their life.

Recent college graduate Sara Beer understands firsthand why it’s easy to fall for one of these scams.

While she was interning in Florida, Beer received an email from someone pretending to be her boss.

“I just started getting texts from who I thought was my boss asking if I can pick up the gift cards,” Beer said. “He kept saying, I promise you’ll get your money back. I promise to get your money back.”

Beer followed the instructions, believing the requests were legitimate.

“Then they asked for photos of the gift cards, and I thought that was just to make sure that I had them and have what they needed,” Beer said.

After making the purchases, Beer realized she had been scammed and lost about $1,200. She says the scheme was convincing. “They knew the name of my boss, they knew where I worked,” Beer said.

Despite filing a report with police, Beer never got the money back.

According to the Hearst Television Get the Facts Data Team, investment-related scams, imposter scams, and business and job opportunity scams cost Americans more than $12 billion in 2025.

“They’re getting video calls, phone calls — you don’t know where to go.”

Right now, there are eight different agencies Americans can report scams to. Each agency works mostly independently of the others, creating confusion for both consumers and law enforcement.

Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-NH, and Sen. Rick Scott, R-FL, have teamed up to introduce bipartisan legislation called the ReportScams.gov Act. The bill aims to create a central portal for Americans to report scams so they can be tracked more accurately.

If passed, the bill would also establish a committee made up of several federal agencies, including the FBI, the Treasury Department, the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department, and the Secret Service, in an effort to support victims and hold criminals accountable for scams carried out through several mediums, including social media apps, websites, and phone calls.

“Our seniors are getting texts every day. They’re getting video calls, phone calls – you don’t know where to go,” said Sen. Scott.

“This is a single portal. It gives our federal government the opportunity to do a better job in responding,” he continued.

The website would also provide resources on how to spot a scam and help for those who’ve fallen victim to one.

“We hear about this from our constituents, and scammers don’t care whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican or an independent or how you voted in the last election. They just want your money and your data,” said Hassan.

Experts say the rise in artificial intelligence has only accelerated the issue. More than 22,000 Americans lost $893 million to AI-enabled scams in 2025, according to the Senate Aging Committee — which Scott chairs.

“It makes these scams that much more believable, and so that’s one of the things that you’re just seeing,” Hassan said.

Right now, the bill is in committee, but both Hassan and Scott are confident it will eventually pass with bipartisan support.

“We’re going to get it passed, but it’s just the first step. You have to expect all the different branches at the federal level and our state levels to do their job, too,” Scott said.

“The more information we have, the better off we are.”

While the legislation is still in its early stages, experts emphasize the importance of staying vigilant to protect personal data and finances.

“People should report scams. I know people feel embarrassed about it. I know they think something can’t be done. But the more information we have, the better off we are,” said Hassan.

The Federal Trade Commission has outlined four common signs to help people recognize scams and avoid falling victim to fraud.

According to the FTC, if someone pretends to be from a familiar organization, says there’s a problem or a prize on the line, pressures you to act immediately, or tells you to pay in a specific way, they may be trying to scam you.

The agency advises that if you notice any signs of a scam, you should hit pause and talk to someone you trust.

“If it seems out of the ordinary at all, it’s better to just hang up. If somebody really wants to get in contact with you and it’s a legitimate thing, they can leave you a voicemail, they can send you a text,” Beer said.

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