FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 27, 2026
Contact: minority_jecpress@jec.senate.gov
New Report Reveals Shortcomings & Steps Forward in Federal Agencies’ Efforts to Combat Scams from International Criminal Compounds
Based on Information from Federal Agencies and Outside Experts, the Joint Economic Committee – Minority Report Shares Recommendations for Congress, the Trump Administration, and the Private Sector
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee – Minority today released a new report that reveals both shortcomings and steps forward in the efforts of federal agencies to combat scams, particularly those that come from international criminal compounds in Southeast Asia. The report also spotlights recommendations from federal officials and outside experts for Congress, the Trump Administration, and the public sector – including the need for Congress to mandate a government-wide strategy to combat scams and one clear place for victims to report scams and get assistance, as proposed in Committee Ranking Member Maggie Hassan’s bipartisan ReportScams.gov Act.
The report, issued by Ranking Member Hassan and Congressman Don Beyer, includes new information that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Justice, Department of State, and Department of the Treasury provided to the Committee, as well as insights from outside experts and the bipartisan hearingthat the Committee held earlier this year – which was the first hearing on scams during this Congress to include witnesses who are current Trump Administration officials.
Key shortcomings detailed in the report include:
- Despite DHS and other entities raising the need to strengthen and coordinate diplomatic pressure to disrupt international scam compounds – given the scale of the damage that these operations cause – the State Department stated that it already “has the tools it needs to combat the threat internationally.”
- The lack of a cross-government approach to scams and clear support for victims, which agencies acknowledged. Officials also described difficulties in federal law enforcement’s ability to hold scammers accountable and restore stolen funds to victims, and they recognized the need for stronger coordination with state and local law enforcement – which is often the first stop for victims of scams.
- In addition, agencies track scams in many different ways and several could not provide the Committee with an estimate of their personnel and budget dedicated to addressing scam compound activity, specifically, or the amount of consumer losses arising from these operations.
- The need for stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors. For instance, one federal official stated to the Committee that private industry cooperation in scam prevention “can be uneven, it can be challenging.”
According to the FTC’s most recent estimate, Americans lost over $260 billion to fraud last year. Federal agencies still only recover a fraction of those losses, though there has been some progress. Steps forward discussed in the report include:
- The Federal Trade Commission delivered $1.83 billion in consumer relief through fraud enforcement actions between October 2024 and September 2025, more than double what it had delivered in the previous 12 months.
- The U.S. Secret Service returned more than $770 million to victims of a variety of fraud schemes including scams through assets seizures from October 2023 – September 2025.
- The multi-agency Scam Center Strike Force has worked with private sector entities to seize and disable U.S.-based infrastructure that supports scam compound operations, and the State Department has engaged with companies including Google, Meta, and Starlink to share information and reduce the risk of scammers misusing these and other companies’ platforms.
“Transnational criminal organizations run massive compounds that exploit U.S. technology, including AI, to carry out scams against Americans with devastating consequences. The scale of this exponentially growing challenge requires Congress, the Administration, and the private sector to all strengthen their efforts,” said Ranking Member Hassan. “This report underscores the need to work across the aisle across multiple fronts to combat scams – including the need to create a central portal for victims to report scams and get help; improve the federal law enforcement response through partnerships both internationally and here at home; and harness U.S. capabilities to stop scammers in their tracks.”
This report is part of Ranking Member Hassan’s comprehensive effort to combat scams. Earlier this month, Hassan released the results of her year-long investigation into romance scams on Match Group platforms, which exposed deficiencies and spurred action. In addition, the President recently signed into law unanimously passed bipartisan legislation that will require dating apps to notify people if they have interacted with a scammer that the platform later banned. Ranking Member Hassan has introduced the bipartisan ReportScams.gov Act to establish a centralized portal where Americans can report scams and get help. She has also launched ongoing, bipartisan investigations into the roles that private industries play in combating scams.
Read the full Joint Economic Committee – Minority report here.
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